Social determinants of health and local government: understanding and uptake of ideas in two Australian states.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawless, Angela; Lane, Anna; Lewis, Felicity-Ann; Baum, Fran; Harris, Patrick

2016-10-23

To examine the awareness and perceptions of local government staff about the social determinants of health (SDoH) and health inequity and use of these ideas to shape policy and practice. 96 staff at 17 councils in South Australia or New South Wales responded to questions in a pilot online survey concerning: sources of knowledge about, familiarity with the evidence on, attitudes towards, and uses of ideas about the social determinants of health. Eight of 68 SA councils and 16 of 152 NSW councils were randomly selected stratified by state and metropolitan status. Differences between states and metropolitan/non-metropolitan status were explored. The majority of respondents (88.4%) reported some familiarity with ideas about the broad determinants of health and 90% agreed that the impact of policy action on health determinants should be considered in all major government policy and planning initiatives. Research articles, government/professional reports, and professional contacts were rated as important sources of knowledge about the social determinants of health. Resources need to be dedicated to systematic research on practical implementation of interventions on social determinants of health inequities and towards providing staff with more practical information about interventions and tools to evaluate those interventions. The findings suggest there is support for action addressing the social determinants of health in local government. The findings extend similar research regarding SDoH and government in NZ and Canada to Australian local government. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

The Australian Governments' Attitude to East Timor Problem in 1974-1996

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Е V Esakova

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In the article the author considers the reasons of East Timor problem, the factors which conditioned the Australian government attitude to the issue as well as the attitude of Indonesian government to this conflict resolution.

A survey of suppression of public health information by Australian governments.

Science.gov (United States)

Yazahmeidi, Boshra; Holman, C D'Arcy J

2007-12-01

It is cause for concern when a democratically elected government suppresses embarrassing information by hindering public health research or the publication of research findings. We conducted a survey of Australian public health academics to estimate the level of acts of suppression of research by Australian governments, to characterise these events, and to gather views on what interventions might be effective in curbing them. A total of 302 academics in 17 institutions completed a postal questionnaire in August 2006 (46% of 652 invited). The instrument sought details of suppression events they had witnessed since 2001. There were 142 suppression events, including 85 personally experienced by 21.2% (n=64) of respondents. The rates were higher in 2005/06 than in earlier years. No State or Territory was immune from suppression. Although governments most commonly hindered research by sanitising, delaying or prohibiting publications (66% of events), no part of the research process was unaffected. Researchers commonly believed their work was targeted because it drew attention to failings in health services (48%), the health status of a vulnerable group (26%), or pointed to a harm in the environment (11%). The government agency seeking to suppress the health information mostly succeeded (87%) and, consequently, the public was left uninformed or given a false impression. Respondents identified a full range of participative, cognitive, structural and legislative control strategies. The suppression of public health information is widely practised by Australian governments. Systemic interventions are necessary to preserve the integrity of public health research conducted with government involvement.

Non-Government Distance Education Funding: The Need for Equity in Australian Schooling

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Terry

2012-01-01

This reflection outlines the problems associated with the Australian Government's recurrent funding policy for non-government distance education. It demonstrates the policy's inconsistencies with stated government educational policy and with commonly held expectations of fairness in a democratic society. A comparison of the current funding of…

Shift Happens: The 2008 Australian Government Summer School for Teachers of English

Science.gov (United States)

Durrant, Cal

2008-01-01

This article talks about the Australian Government "Summer School for Teachers" programme which was announced as part of the 2007-08 Budget Package: "Realising Our Potential." Funds earmarked for this initiative totalled some $102 million over four years, and it was sold to the Australian public as something that would both…

Improving Unsustainable Environmental Governance in South Africa: the Case for Holistic Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LJ Kotze

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental law in South Africa has developed in a rapid fashion since the inception of the new constitutional dispensation in 1994. This development is evident from, inter alia, the constitutionalisation of the environmental right in section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Section 24 contains amongst other provisions, directive principles that impose duties on government to protect the environment for present and future generations through reasonable legislative and other measures. It is apparent from section 24 that these measures should ensure environmental governance practices that are aimed at the achievement of sustainable results. The South African environmental governance regime is, however, characterised by fragmentation that may negate the achievement of sustainable environmental governance. It is argued in this article that, for environmental governance to become sustainable, it is necessary to integrate environmental governance efforts, possibly by way of a holistic approach to environmental governance. In light of the above, this article: investigates the nature and extent of fragmentation; explores reasons for fragmentation; discusses disadvantages of fragmented governance efforts in South Africa; investigates the concept of integration and holistic governance as means to achieve sustainable environmental governance results; and makes recommendations regarding the eventual achievement of integrated, holistic and sustainable environmental governance.

The Corporate Governance of Australian Listed Construction Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick Tait

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This paper compares the compliance level of Australian StockExchange (ASX listed construction and non-constructioncompanies with the ASX Corporate Governance Council (CGCrecommendations on sound corporate governance. It alsoexamines the difference in board characteristics between thetwo groups, paying particular attention to differences in boardindependence. It concludes that compared with the top 20 ASXlisted non-construction companies, listed construction companiesare less compliant overall particularly with regards to boardstructure, and have lower levels of independence both in terms ofCEO/Chairperson duality, the ratio of executive to non-executiveindependent directors and independent membership of nomination,remuneration and audit committees. These conclusions areimportant because sound corporate governance has beenassociated with higher levels of organisational resilience derivedfrom the reputational and fi nancial benefi ts of greater transparency,market value, investor attractiveness and organisationalperformance.

Increased Government Intervention versus Increased Institutional Autonomy: The Recent Case of Australian Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Harman, Grant

A new theme in the old tension between centralization and decentralization in the governance and administration of Australian higher education is explored. The argument is that the various major attempts to restructure Australian education systems both in centralizing and decentralizing forces have gained new strength, and that the recent stated…

Gauging Change in Australian Aid: Stakeholder Perceptions of the Government Aid Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Terence; Burkot, Camilla; Howes, Stephen

2017-05-01

In this article, we use data from the 2013 and 2015 Australian Aid Stakeholder Surveys to gauge the extent of the changes to the Australian Government Aid Program since the 2013 federal election. The two surveys targeted the same set of stakeholders of the aid program, and both gathered data on a wide range of aspects of its functioning. As we assess the findings that emerged from the surveys, we situate our work amongst recent academic studies that have looked at the post-2013 aid changes in Australia. Our key findings are that the post-2013 changes to Australian aid have had wide-ranging impacts and have led to deteriorating overall aid quality. However, changes have not affected all aspects of the aid program equally, and some changes are starting to be reversed. In discussion, we examine what these developments mean for the future of Australian aid.

Missing billions. How the Australian government's climate policy is penalising farmers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riguet, T.

2006-10-01

rocket. For example, total energy sector emissions are projected to be 45% above 1990 levels by 2010. In short, farmers have been carrying the greenhouse reduction effort in an inequitable relationship to other greenhouse polluting sectors in Australia. The situation is even more unfair to farmers given that it is rural communities that are suffering most from ongoing droughts made worse by the impacts of climate change. It is important to note that the Federal Government cannot claim credit for these emission savings. Reductions in land clearing have been undertaken by farmers and largely driven by controls implemented by the Queensland and New South Wales Governments to protect biodiversity and not Federal Government action to meet Australia's Kyoto target. The Federal Government's policy of meeting Australia's Kyoto Protocol target but not ratifying it means farmers are unable to access international market mechanisms, such as international emissions trading. These are available only to countries that have ratified Kyoto. The Governments refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and implement a domestic carbon price via an emissions trading scheme has meant Australian farmers are unable to convert the emissions reductions they have achieved into financial value and benefit from the growing global carbon market. In effect, farmers who have made most effort in Australia to date to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being financially penalised by the current Government policy. This report has not assessed additional income streams that also exist for farmers - through emission reductions such as renewable energy and soil management

Australian Public Universities: Are They Practising a Corporate Approach to Governance?

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher, Joseph

2014-01-01

This article draws on the multi-theoretical approach to governance and a qualitative research method to examine the extent to which the corporate approach is practised in Australian public universities. The findings reveal that in meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders, universities are faced with a number of structural, legalistic, and…

Alcohol industry and government revenue derived from underage drinking by Australian adolescents 2005.

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Christopher M; Shakeshaft, Anthony P; Hall, Wayne; Petrie, Dennis

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the revenue gained from consumption of alcohol by adolescents for each beverage type for the year 2005. Secondary analysis of self-reported alcohol use in the 2005 Australian Secondary School Surveys Alcohol and Drug Use. Australia. Over 506,000 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years (29% of all Australian adolescents) consumed approximately 175.69 million standard drinks in 2005. The total revenue generated by the consumption of these beverages was estimated to be $218 million, of which the government received approximately $107 million or 49% in taxation revenue. Total revenue per underage drinker is estimated at $430.84 with revenue increasing with age. Males tend to spend more on spirits and beer while females spend more on pre-mixed spirits. Females aged 12-15 years spend around $121 per year (or 50% of total expenditure) on pre-mixed spirits compared to females aged 16-17 years old that spend around $257 per year (or 62% of total expenditure) on pre-mixed spirits. The Australian government and the alcohol industry receive substantial financial benefit from the sale of alcoholic beverages to under age drinkers.

Ideas, actors and institutions: lessons from South Australian Health in All Policies on what encourages other sectors’ involvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fran Baum

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper examines the extent to which actors from sectors other than health engaged with the South Australian Health in All Policies (HiAP initiative, determines why they were prepared to do so and explains the mechanisms by which successful engagement happened. This examination applies theories of policy development and implementation. Methods The paper draws on a five year study of the implementation of HiAP comprising document analysis, a log of key events, detailed interviews with 64 policy actors and two surveys of public servants. Results The findings are analysed within an institutional policy analysis framework and examine the extent to which ideas, institutional factors and actor agency influenced the willingness of actors from other sectors to work with Health sector staff under the HiAP initiative. In terms of ideas, there was wide acceptance of the role of social determinants in shaping health and the importance of action to promote health in all government agencies. The institutional environment was initially supportive, but support waned over the course of the study when the economy in South Australia became less buoyant and a health minister less supportive of health promotion took office. The existence of a HiAP Unit was very helpful for gaining support from other sectors. A new Public Health Act offered some promise of institutionalising the HiAP approach and ideas. The analysis concludes that a key factor was the operation of a supportive network of public servants who promoted HiAP, including some who were senior and influential. Conclusions The South Australian case study demonstrates that despite institutional constraints and shifting political support within the health sector, HiAP gained traction in other sectors. The key factors that encouraged the commitment of others sectors to HiAP were the existence of a supportive, knowledgeable policy network, political support, institutionalisation of the

Ideas, actors and institutions: lessons from South Australian Health in All Policies on what encourages other sectors' involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Fran; Delany-Crowe, Toni; MacDougall, Colin; Lawless, Angela; van Eyk, Helen; Williams, Carmel

2017-10-16

This paper examines the extent to which actors from sectors other than health engaged with the South Australian Health in All Policies (HiAP) initiative, determines why they were prepared to do so and explains the mechanisms by which successful engagement happened. This examination applies theories of policy development and implementation. The paper draws on a five year study of the implementation of HiAP comprising document analysis, a log of key events, detailed interviews with 64 policy actors and two surveys of public servants. The findings are analysed within an institutional policy analysis framework and examine the extent to which ideas, institutional factors and actor agency influenced the willingness of actors from other sectors to work with Health sector staff under the HiAP initiative. In terms of ideas, there was wide acceptance of the role of social determinants in shaping health and the importance of action to promote health in all government agencies. The institutional environment was initially supportive, but support waned over the course of the study when the economy in South Australia became less buoyant and a health minister less supportive of health promotion took office. The existence of a HiAP Unit was very helpful for gaining support from other sectors. A new Public Health Act offered some promise of institutionalising the HiAP approach and ideas. The analysis concludes that a key factor was the operation of a supportive network of public servants who promoted HiAP, including some who were senior and influential. The South Australian case study demonstrates that despite institutional constraints and shifting political support within the health sector, HiAP gained traction in other sectors. The key factors that encouraged the commitment of others sectors to HiAP were the existence of a supportive, knowledgeable policy network, political support, institutionalisation of the ideas and approach, and balancing of the economic and social goals of

South Australia, uranium enrichment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-02-01

The Report sets out the salient data relating to the establishment of a uranium processing centre at Redcliff in South Australia. It is conceived as a major development project for the Commonwealth, the South Australian Government and Australian Industry comprising the refining and enrichment of uranium produced from Australian mines. Using the data currently available in respect of markets, demand, technology and possible financial return from overseas sales, the project could be initiated immediately with hexafluoride production, followed rapidly in stages by enrichment production using the centrifuge process. A conceptual development plan is presented, involving a growth pattern that would be closely synchronised with the mining and production of yellowcake. The proposed development is presented in the form of an eight-and-half-year programme. Costs in this Report are based on 1975 values, unless otherwise stated. (Author)

Atomic test site (south Australia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godman, N.A.; Cousins, Jim; Hamilton, Archie.

1993-01-01

The debate, which lasted about half an hour, is reported verbatin. It was prompted by the campaign by the Maralinga people of South Australia to have their traditional lands restored to them. Between 1953 and 1957 the United Kingdom government carried out of atomic tests and several hundred minor trials on the lands. A clean-up programme had taken place in 1967 but further decontamination was needed before the area is safe for traditional aboriginal life and culture. A small area will remain contaminated with plutonium for thousands of years. The cost and who would pay, the Australian or UK government was being negotiated. The UK government's position was that the site is remote, the health risk is slight and the clean-up operation of 1967 was acknowledged as satisfactory by the Australian government. (UK)

Course diversity within South Australian secondary schools as a factor of successful transition and retention within Australian universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Wright

2010-07-01

Full Text Available There has long been a disparity in the provision of curriculum within Australian secondary schools. This study aims to evaluate whether diversity within schools alters students’ university experiences. While much of the existing literature focuses on each aspect individually, this paper attempts to clarify a link between these factors by focussing on the transition process. A theoretical analysis of key concepts surrounding a web of inter-related issues, including student satisfaction, interest and motivation frames the quantitative data collection. The methodology employed consists of analysing a balanced sample of South Australian secondary schools, from an array of different locations, SES groupings and sizes, and an acknowledgement of previous studies into the first year experience within Australian Universities. The findings suggest that there is a disparity between learning areas in school curricula and an inherent link has been established with issues such as student attrition and dissatisfaction in universities.

Ethics creep or governance creep? Challenges for Australian Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECS).

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman, Susanna M

2011-09-01

Australian Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) have to contend with ever-increasing workloads and responsibilities which go well beyond questions of mere ethics. In this article, I shall examine how the roles of HRECs have changed, and show how this is reflected in the iterations of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 (NS). In particular I suggest that the focus of the National Statement has shifted to concentrate on matters of research governance at the expense of research ethics, compounded by its linkage to the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007) in its most recent iteration. I shall explore some of the challenges this poses for HRECs and institutions and the risks it poses to ensuring that Australian researchers receive clear ethical guidance and review.

South Africa's transformational approach to global governance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

One goal was to transform structures and institutions of global governance while another aim was to place developmental goals on the global agenda. As South Africa targeted UN agencies, notably the Security Council, the IMF, World Bank, WTO and more recently the G20, the curious question begs: will South Africa ...

Boomerang - the Australian light source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boldeman, J.W.; Garrett, R.F.

2000-01-01

Full text: The Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP) was one of seven major national research facilities funded by the Federal Government in December 1995. The program provides guaranteed access and travel funds for Australian scientists to conduct synchrotron radiation-based research at two overseas facilities - the Photon Factory at Tsukuba in Japan and the Advanced Photon Source at the Argonne National Laboratory in the US. The Federal Government also provided funding of $100K to carry out a Feasibility Study for an Australian-based facility. This has been completed and included a mission to a number of laboratories overseas that were or had recently constructed a facility that could be considered for Australia. Following the mission, consensus was achieved within the community for the specifications of a proposed Australian facility. The proposed facility, Boomerang, has an energy of 3 GeV, an emittance of 16 nm rad and will be equipped in the first phase with 9 instrument stations. Boomerang will be competitive in performance with other facilities currently under construction overseas. A detailed proposal has been submitted to the Federal Government for funding. No site has been specified in the proposal. The proposal was prepared within the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP) following extensive consultation with industrial and scientific groups in all Australian states. Valuable contributions have been made by members of all the committees of the ASRP, the Australian synchrotron research community that works through the ASRP and the National Synchrotron Steering Committee. Important contributions have also been made by many industrial groups including consortia in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. The input from the ANKA staff at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and, in particular. Professor Einfeld has been a critical component. The estimated capital cost of a no frills laboratory has been estimated to be $100M in 1999 dollars. The

South Local Government Area, Delta S

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

environs, Aniocha- South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria was carried out with a view to determining the ... supply for physical industrial development to achieve maximum human .... the Schlumberger O' Neil software package.

The history of South African inland fisheries policy with governance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The governance of South Africa's inland fishery resources in the democratic era has lacked a guiding policy, supporting legislation and government capacity based on the social, economic and environmental objectives defined in constitutional legislation. This is ironic, as during the colonial and apartheid eras South Africa ...

Review of Australian Higher Education: An Australian Policy Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Montague, Alan

2013-01-01

Higher education is one of the key foundations that economic prosperity is founded upon. Government policies, funding and strategic planning require a fine balance to stimulate growth, prosperity health and well-being. The key Australian government policies influenced by a Review of Australian Higher Education report include attracting many more…

Molecular phylogenetics and systematic revision of the south-eastern Australian Helicarionidae (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hyman, I.T.; Iglesia Lamborena, de la I.; Köhler, F.

2017-01-01

The south-eastern Australian helicarionid clade currently comprises six genera of snails and semislugs united by genital characters, including an epiphallic flagellum that produces a spiraling, spinose spermatophore, the absence of an epiphallic caecum, and the presence of at most a very short

Performance Management as a Means of Teacher Evaluation: A South Australian Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Naidu, Sham

2011-01-01

The introduction of performance management in South Australian public schools raises a number of issues regarding the structure, purpose and control of the process itself and the consequences of teacher evaluation. Performance management has the potential to shape teaching and the culture of schools according to what it values and what it ignores.…

Review of policies and guidelines concerning adults' alcohol consumption and promotion in Australian government schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Bernadette M; Buykx, Penelope; Munro, Geoff; Hausdorf, Katrin; Wiggers, John

2014-08-01

Schools are recognised as important settings for promoting student and community wellbeing through education, policies and the modelling of behaviour. Recently, there has been controversy regarding the promotion and use of alcohol by adults at school events. The aim of this study was to examine the policy approach of all Australian jurisdictions to the possession and use of alcohol, by adults, at government school events when students are present. A desktop review of Australian governments' alcohol in schools policy/guidelines documents was undertaken. Results Eighteen documents across eight jurisdictions were retrieved. There were inconsistencies between jurisdictions and lack of policy clarity regarding the promotion and/or use of alcohol by adults at events organised by schools for recreation, celebration and fundraising purposes. Clarity is needed about the role of alcohol in Australian schools, particularly in relation to its use of alcohol when there is a duty of care to children. The possession and/or use of alcohol by adults at school events may contribute to the pervasive role of drinking in Australian social life. SO WHAT? Clear and evidence-based guidelines are needed to inform school policies across all jurisdictions as to whether, when and under which circumstances it is appropriate for schools to promote and/or supply alcohol. This would also strengthen the ability of school principals and communities to make appropriate evidence-based decisions that focus on the interests of children.

Groundwater governance in South Africa: A status assessment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Groundwater governance provisions and arrangements in South Africa were studied at national level and at local level for a highly productive aquifer, the Botleng Dolomite Aquifer. Technical, legal, institutional and operational governance provisions were found to be reasonable at the national level but weak with regards to ...

Non-voluntary licensing of antivirals under patent: options the Australian Government should consider in light of a potential bird flu pandemic.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Tim

2006-05-01

In the face of a potential bird flu pandemic, Australian Federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, has recently dismissed expert advice that the government should begin, or even publicly consider, authorising generic manufacturers to produce antivirals, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, under patent via non-voluntary licensing methods. This is despite the fact that the demand for antivirals in Australia, and throughout the world, cannot be met by manufacturers under the control of limited patent owners alone. This article proposes that Australian patent law, which allows for non-voluntary licensing when it comes to important public health issues that affect Australian citizens, is relevant in meeting the demand for increased antiviral treatments during a possible bird flu pandemic, domestically and abroad. It argues that the Australian Government must go beyond what is currently being done and investigate and pursue such options.

Australian uranium mining policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisk, B.

1985-01-01

Australian government policy is explained in terms of adherence to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Two alleged uncertainties are discussed: the future of Australian mining industry as a whole -on which it is said that Australian uranium mines will continue to be developed; and detailed commercial policy of the Australian government - on which it is suggested that the three-mines policy of limited expansion of the industry would continue. Various aspects of policy, applying the principles of the NPT, are listed. (U.K.)

Government Investment, Growth and Employment in South Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper focuses on the impact of government investment on growth and employment in South Africa. As a prelude to the analysis, the paper refers to theory and practical evidence which indicates the way investment can influence growth and employment. Also, a review of investment patterns in South Africa in the past ...

The psychiatric profession and the Australian government: the debate over collective depression syndrome among asylum-seeking detainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Bostock, William W

2009-01-01

Psychiatrists have long had involvement with the political process, both individually and as a profession. They have made valuable contributions to debate over such issues as war, conflict, terrorism, torture, human rights abuse, drug abuse, suicide and other public health issues. However, they have also been complicit in some gross atrocities. Over several years there has been debate over the Australian Government's treatment of asylum seekers, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists took the unusual step of publicly criticizing the Australian Government's policy on grounds of its toxicity leading to a diagnosis of collective depression syndrome, particularly among child detainees, but also adult detainees. The official Ministerial response was to deny that collective depression exists and to assert that the concept is meaningless. Can this intervention by psychiatrists be interpreted as a product of earlier political behaviors by psychiatrists? The willingness of psychiatrists to cooperate with other professions, notably psychologists, pediatricians, physicians and lawyers, is noted, as is presence of minority voices within the Australian psychiatric profession. The significance of the debate over the mental condition of asylum-seeking detainees is that its outcome has implications for how Australia sees itself and is seen by the rest of the world, that is, its national identity.

Climate change governance in the South African mining sector

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mzenda, Venantio M

2012-07-01

Full Text Available value-added in its exports: all these expose the South African mining sector to climate change-related business risks. This study explores corporate governance as a vehicle through which South Africa’s mining companies could improve their response...

Evolving electrical SCLM models of the Australian continent - results of the South Australia AusLAMP deployment

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, K. E.; Thiel, S.; Heinson, G. S.

2017-12-01

The Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) is an Australian initiative to map the Australian continental lithosphere using magnetotelluric (MT) stations to obtain a resistivity model of the subsurface. It is a joint project between Geoscience Australia, state surveys, and Universities. We present new MT 3D inversion results of the largest coherent array of the AusLAMP MT deployments to date covering two-thirds of South Australia, funded largely by the Geological Survey of South Australia with additional funding by Geoscience Australia and The University of Adelaide. The model extends across the South Australian Gawler Craton, including the Eucla Basin to the west of the craton and the Flinders Ranges and Curnamona Province to the east. The MT array covers parts of the Australian lithosphere, which has been largely unexplored with seismic tomography methods and provide a unique insight into the tectonic evolution of the continent. We incorporate 284 long-period (10s-10,000s) MT stations separated roughly every half degree latitude and longitude across an area spanning 1200 km x 800 km, south of latitude -28.5 degrees and from longitude 129 degrees to 141 degrees. We invert 24 discrete periods of the impedance tenor between 7 s and 13,000 s, and 22 different periods of the tipper data between 7s-8000 s period. The results show a heterogeneous lower crust and mantle lithosphere with a primarily resistive mantle (>1000 Ωm) lithosphere in the central and western part of the Gawler Craton and Eucla Domain. The model shows a generally NS oriented electric LAB offset from deeper cratonic lithosphere in the west to a shallow lithosphere along the eastern margin of the Gawler Craton extending further east towards the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic eastern part of Australia. The lower crust is generally resistive with elongated lower crustal conductivity anomalies, which are associated with major translithospheric shear zones likely existent

Informing the Australian government on AT policies: ARATA's experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Emma L; Walker, Lloyd; Layton, Natasha; Astbrink, Gunela; Summers, Michael; De Jonge, Desleigh

2015-05-01

This article describes the development and dissemination of an evidence-based Policy Statement and Background Papers by the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA). An experienced project team was engaged to conduct literature reviews and member consultations, develop resources and implement a targeted advocacy strategy that included a policy launch and meetings with government officials. The Policy Statement and Background Papers have enabled ARATA to represent the views of Assistive Technology (AT) Practitioners in consultations around the National Disability Insurance Scheme and other AT-related inquiries. In ARATA's experience, developing a policy statement and disseminating it through a targeted advocacy strategy is an effective way for a not-for-profit professional organisation to influence government policy. AT practitioners must consider political factors in working towards effective policies to support their practice. To be effective at a systemic level, AT practitioners must develop political awareness and an understanding of the drivers of policy. This case study provides a blueprint for AT practitioners and organisations in tackling policy change.

Australian doctors and the visual arts. Part 5. Doctor-artists in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, D G

1986-11-17

The contributions of Australian doctors to the visual arts are being described in a series of six articles. Work from doctors in New South Wales and Victoria has been covered previously. Now activities in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory are presented.

Foundation Assessment of the Influence of IT Management Practices on Customer Relationship Management (CRM in a Large Australian Federal Government Agency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judy Young

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The research presented in this paper was motivated by the thrust in Australia to move to whole of e-government. The aim was to determine the level of readiness towards the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM in Australian Federal Government departments and agencies. As such the research presented in this paper represents an initial phase of research that focusses on CRM implementation in the highest level of government in this country. To address the research objective, data were collected through the distribution of an electronic questionnaire to 23 Australian Federal Government departments and agencies using a previously validated questionnaire. The main finding of the research was that a majority of the departments and agencies are only in the early stages of moving toward implementation of collaborative CRM. This suggests that a concerted effort needs to be made to encourage less developed departments and agencies to make this transition. Until collaborative CRM is accomplished, the ultimate goal of whole of e-government in Australia cannot become a reality. However, a positive aspect of the results is that some departments and agencies are in a position of collaborative CRM. This means that those not so positioned can benefit from the ‘best practice’ processes already adopted in the more CRM advanced Australian Federal government departments and agencies.

Theoretical interpretation of e-government implementation challenges in South Africa: A case study of a selected provincial government

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Twum-Darko

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses factors influencing e-Government initiatives by African Governments to improve services to their citizens, businesses and their constituent. It further discusses, as a socially constructed phenomenon, the degree of readiness of governments to implement e-Government initiatives to improve services. The discussion uses Actor Network Theory (ANT and in particular the concepts of moments of translation and irreversibility as a lens through which to understand and interpret the social phenomenon. Although a number of e-Government researchers have argued that strong leadership and clear vision is required to implement e-Government initiatives, the view is that Governments have continuously failed to achieve the intended results. E-Government potentials and benefits which are well documented in Information Systems and e-Government research literature have not been realised by governments due to limited capabilities in the administration of the public service. The study applied a deductive approach where semi-structured interviews were used for data collection in a selected Provincial Government in South Africa. The outcome is a general framework to determine the readiness of South Africa government and generally, African governments for e-Government initiatives to achieve the intended results.

Nanotechnology in South Asia : Building Capabilities and Governing ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Nanotechnology in South Asia : Building Capabilities and Governing the Technology ... Call for new OWSD Fellowships for Early Career Women Scientists now open ... IWRA/IDRC webinar on climate change and adaptive water management.

Relative attractiveness of seeds of myrmecochorous Australian and South African plants to ants, and the chemical basis of this attraction

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Midgley, JJ

1995-08-01

Full Text Available The responses of an indigenous acid an exotic (South American) ant was compared to seeds from exotic (Australian) and indigenous Caps myrmecochorous plants. Non-South African ants were more attracted to seeds of myrmecochorous species, than to non...

Wave transport in the South Australian Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Bye, John A. T.; James, Charles

2018-02-01

The specification of the dynamics of the air-sea boundary layer is of fundamental importance to oceanography. There is a voluminous literature on the subject, however a strong link between the velocity profile due to waves and that due to turbulent processes in the wave boundary layer does not appear to have been established. Here we specify the velocity profile due to the wave field using the Toba spectrum, and the velocity profile due to turbulence at the sea surface by the net effect of slip and wave breaking in which slip is the dominant process. Under this specification, the inertial coupling of the two fluids for a constant viscosity Ekman layer yields two independent estimates for the frictional parameter (which is a function of the 10 m drag coefficient and the peak wave period) of the coupled system, one of which is due to the surface Ekman current and the other to the peak wave period. We show that the median values of these two estimates, evaluated from a ROMS simulation over the period 2011-2012 at a station on the Southern Shelf in the South Australian Basin, are similar in strong support of the air-sea boundary layer model. On integrating over the planetary boundary layer we obtain the Ekman transport (w*2/f) and the wave transport due to a truncated Toba spectrum (w*zB/κ) where w* is the friction velocity in water, f is the Coriolis parameter, κ is von Karman's constant and zB = g T2/8 π2 is the depth of wave influence in which g is the acceleration of gravity and T is the peak wave period. A comparison of daily estimates shows that the wave transports from the truncated Toba spectrum and from the SWAN spectral model are highly correlated (r = 0.82) and that on average the Toba estimates are about 86% of the SWAN estimates due to the omission of low frequency tails of the spectra, although for wave transports less than about 0.5 m2 s-1 the estimates are almost equal. In the South Australian Basin the Toba wave transport is on average about 42% of

Hot rock energy projects : Australian context

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldstein, B.A.; Malavazos, M. [Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX (United States); Hill, A.J.; Coda, J. [Primary Industries and Resources South Australia, Adelaide (Australia)]|[Australian Geothermal Energy Group, Adelaide (Australia); Budd, A.R.; Holgate, F.L. [Australian Geothermal Energy Group, Adelaide (Australia)]|[Geoscience Australia, Adelaide (Australia)

2008-10-15

The Australia Geothermal Energy Group is an alliance of companies, government agencies and research organizations with an interest in promoting geothermal energy use. Hot rocks (HR) geothermal energy is a valued addition to the portfolio of safe, secure and competitive energy supplies because it offers the potential of inexhaustible geothermal heat energy with zero emissions. Australia's vast HR resources have attracted global interest and government support for HR projects, which call upon integrated expertise from the petroleum minerals and power industries. Funding from the Australian government is aimed at reducing critical, sector-wide uncertainties and equates to nearly 25 per cent of the cost of the private sector's field efforts to date. A national HR resource assessment and a road-map for the commercialization of Australian HR plays will be published in 2008 to help in the decision making process by portfolio managers. The challenges and prospects for HR projects in Australia were presented. It has been estimated that converting only 1 per cent of Australia's crustal energy from depths of 5 km and 150 degrees C to electricity would supply 26,000 years of Australia's 2005 primary power use. The factors that distinguish Australian HR resources include abundant radioactive granites and areas of recent volcanic activity; and, Australia is converging with Indonesia on a plate scale resulting in common, naturally occurring subhorizontally fractured basement rocks that are susceptible to hydraulic fracture stimulation. Most projects are focused on HR to develop enhanced or engineered geothermal systems (EGS) to fuel binary power plants. Approximately 80 percent of these projects are located in South Australia. 14 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs.

Contribution of transport governance to socio-economic development in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Chakwizira, J

2009-07-01

Full Text Available (transport governance) social capital as ‘‘(transport governance) networks, together with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co-operation within and among groups’’ (Helliwell, 2003, p. 9). According to Statistics South Africa (2005... this improved figure, South African road quality is far below its peers. This situation requires urgent attention especially in rural and previously disadvantaged areas (Mashiri et al, 2007). This paper argues that all this can be traced back...

The safety of a nuclear industry in South Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higson, D.J.

2016-01-01

On 19 March 2015, the South Australian Government established a Royal Commission to consider and analyse the potential of South Australia to further participate in the nuclear fuel cycle, whether through the expansion of the current level of exploration, extraction and milling of uranium (the only parts of the nuclear power industry that are currently allowed in Australia) or by undertaking the conversion and enrichment of materials for the nuclear fuel cycle, the generation of electricity from nuclear fuels and/or the management, storage and disposal of nuclear wastes. This provides a timely opportunity to review the performance of the nuclear industry throughout the world, particularly in the safety of electricity generation and waste management, showing that - despite misconceptions about radiological risks and the significance of the accidents that have occurred - the record of this industry is exceptionally good. The Federal and South Australian State governments both have the policy that uranium mining is acceptable providing it is properly regulated. The success of this policy suggests that it is exactly the policy that should be adopted for all other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, including the generation of electricity.

Testing wagner's law of government size for South Africa, 1950-2008

African Journals Online (AJOL)

wise, the results imply that development plans of South Africa must incorporate such fiscal policy measures that would guarantee commensurate growth in government revenue. Keywords: Wagner's law; co-integration; causality; government size; ...

Regional scale groundwater resource assessment in the Australian outback - Geophysics is the only way.

Science.gov (United States)

Munday, T. J.; Davis, A. C.; Gilfedder, M.; Annetts, D.

2015-12-01

Resource development, whether in agriculture, mining and/or energy, is set to have significant consequences for the groundwater resources of Australia in the short to medium term. These industry sectors are of significant economic value to the country and consequently their support remains a priority for State and Federal Governments alike. The scale of potential developments facilitated in large part by the Government Programs, like the West Australian (WA) Government's "Water for Food" program, and the South Australian's Government's PACE program, will result in an increase in infrastructure requirements, including access to water resources and Aboriginal lands to support these developments. However, the increased demand for water, particularly groundwater, is likely to be compromised by the limited information we have about these resources. This is particularly so for remote parts of the country which are targeted as primary development areas. There is a recognised need to expand this knowledge so that water availability is not a limiting factor to development. Governments of all persuasions have therefore adopted geophysical technologies, particularly airborne electromagnetics (AEM), as a basis for extending the hydrogeological knowledge of data poor areas. In WA, the State Government has employed regional-scale AEM surveys as a basis for defining groundwater resources to support mining, regional agricultural developments whilst aiming to safeguard regional population centres, and environmental assets. A similar approach is being employed in South Australia. These surveys are being used to underpin conceptual hydrogeological frameworks, define basin-scale hydrogeological models, delimit the extent of saltwater intrusion in coastal areas, and to determine the groundwater resource potential of remote alluvial systems aimed at supporting new, irrigation-based, agricultural developments in arid parts of the Australian outback. In the absence of conventional

The Role of Democratic Governing Bodies in South African Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Jenni

2002-01-01

School governance reform in post-apartheid South Africa aimed to democratize schooling while accommodating diverse school histories of underdevelopment or self-management. Analysis of relevant legislation shows the reform was structured to allow representative democracy and partnerships. But two recent studies suggest that governance reforms have…

Budget Monitoring and Control in South African Township Schools: Democratic Governance at Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Mestry, Raj; Naidoo, Gans

2009-01-01

This article investigates budget monitoring and control in township schools in South Africa. The enactment of the Schools Act 1996 revolutionized school financial management in South Africa, making it part of the drive for democratic school governance. School governing bodies had to be established, whose responsibility it became to manage finances…

Trends in Australian government health expenditure by age: a fiscal incidence analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapper, Alan; Phillimore, John

2014-11-01

Australian government health expenditure per capita has grown steadily across the past few decades, but little is known about trends in the age distribution of health expenditure. In this paper, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) fiscal incidence studies, which track expenditure at the household level between 1984 and 2010, are used to shed light on this topic. The main finding was that spending has shifted focus from the younger half to the older half of the population. This shift is evident in three areas: (1) acute care (hospitals); (2) community health services (doctors); and (3) pharmaceuticals. Together, these areas account for approximately 88% of expenditure. The trend is independent of demographic aging. It is unlikely to reflect changes in population health. Its explanation is open to debate. Growth in expenditure per household has been more than threefold faster for elderly than young households. Across this period, expenditure per household per week has increased by 51% for the young, by 79% for the middle aged and by 179% for the elderly. This age-related growth is most prominent in expenditure on acute care, community health services and pharmaceuticals. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: The Productivity Commission has published figures that relate age and Australian heath expenditure. However, there has been no published study of age-related trends in Australian health expenditure. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD?: In addition to tracking age-related trends across 26 years, this paper adds a breakdown of those trends into four categories of expenditure, namely acute care, community health services, pharmaceutical benefits, and other. This breakdown shows that the trends vary by expenditure type. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS?: The paper shows that forward projections in health expenditure need to take into account age-related trends as well as demographic trends.

A critical scientific review on South African governance of genetically ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Credible governance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is essential because of public concerns in South Africa (SA) and internationally. In this preliminary study, the opinions of a number of scientists with experience and/or interest in GMO governance were determined by means of two questionnaires to determine ...

Microbiological evaluation of South Australian rock lobster meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Yap, A S

1977-12-01

Samples of frozen precooked rock lobster meat from five South Australian fish-processing plants situated in the West Coast and south-east regions were tested over a period of six months during the 1974/5 lobster fishing season. The most probable number (MPN) of E. coli and coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella, as well as total plate count (TPC) were determined in 480 samples. Monthly geometric mean TPC ranged from 1600/g to 25,000/g. The highest geometric mean of the MPN of coliforms and E. coli were 4.9/g and 1.8/g respectively. The highest geometric mean number of staphylococci was 18.6/g. Salmonella was not detected in the 480 units tested. Only 0.4% of the samples had TPC exceeding 100,000/g. Coliforms and E. coli were not present in 76.1% and 92.7% respectively of the samples tested. Staphylococcus aureus was not detected in 67.7% of the samples. The numbers of organisms in 82% of the samples fall within the microbiological standards proposed by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia for frozen precooked foods. The results of this study demonstrate the microbial quality of precooked lobster meat attainable when good manufacturing practices are used.

Experiences and Perceptions of Physical Activity Among South Asian and Anglo-Australians With Type 2 Diabetes or Cardiovascular Disease: Implications for Clinical Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Sabrina S; Aroni, Rosalie; Teede, Helena

2017-02-01

Research indicates that there are worryingly low levels of physical activity among South Asians compared with Anglo-Australians with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD). We compared perceptions, barriers, and enablers of physical activity in these groups. We used a qualitative design, conducting in-depth, semistructured iterative interviews in Victoria with 57 South Asian and Anglo-Australian participants with either type 2 diabetes or CVD. While both groups exhibited knowledge of the value of physical activity in health maintenance and disease management, they wished for more specific and culturally tailored advice from clinicians about the type, duration, and intensity of physical activity required. Physical activity identities were tied to ethnic identities, with members of each group aspiring to meet the norms of their culture regarding engagement with physical activity as specific exercise or as incidental exercise. Individual personal exercise was deemed important by Anglo-Australians whereas South Asians preferred family-based physical activity.

Hepatitis C virus infection in South Australian prisoners: seroprevalence, seroconversion, and risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Emma Ruth; Bi, Peng; Ryan, Philip

2009-03-01

To determine entry antibody seroprevalence and seroconversion to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and associated risk factors in newly incarcerated prisoners. Males and females entering South Australian prisons completed risk factor surveys and were offered HCV-antibody testing. Participants completed additional surveys and, if HCV-negative at last test, underwent further antibody tests at 3-monthly intervals for up to 15 months. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate techniques. HCV seroprevalence among 662 prison entrants was estimated at 42%. Previous injecting history was highly prevalent at entry (64%) and both community and prison injecting independently predicted entry HCV status. Tattooing was not an important risk factor. While community exposure could not be ruled out, three seroconversions were noted in 148 initially HCV-seronegative individuals occurring in a median 121 days--4.6 per 100 person-years. Prison injecting was infrequently reported, but HCV-seropositive participants were significantly more likely to commence IDU in prison than seronegative participants (p=0.035). Entry HCV seroprevalence in South Australian prisoners is extremely high and may have contributed to a 'ceiling effect', minimizing the observable seroconversion rate. Greater frequency of injecting among those already infected with HCV represents a significant threat to other prisoners and prison staff.

Mapping Economic Development: The South Seas Government and Sugar Production in Japan’s South Pacific Mandate, 1919–1941

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ti Ngo

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Japan acquired the Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall Island chains as a League of Nations mandate following World War I. Why did the local administration (the South Seas Government or Nanyōchō heavily subsidize the establishment of a sugar industry? While the South Seas Government did not explicitly state why it chose to support the sugar industry despite the wealth of oceanic resources surrounding the islands, imperial maps of the South Pacific produced by the Japanese navy and the South Seas Government provide a window into how both parties envisioned and planned for the economic future of the mandate. These maps included information regarding the available natural resources, land, and culture level of the Micronesian population. The author argues that in depicting the islands as spaces where a “primitive” nonagricultural population failed to take advantage of the islands’ resources, mapmakers and officials planned for the mass migration of Japanese labor to the mandate in order to support a newly established sugar industry.

School Governing Bodies in South African Schools: Under Pressure to Enhance Democratization and Improve Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Heystek, Jan

2011-01-01

Governing bodies in South Africa are expected to have an important role in ensuring high quality education in schools as well as in the democratization of the post-apartheid South Africa. However, current legislation precludes governing bodies from involvement in the professional management of schools. Governing bodies are democratically elected…

Extensiveness and Effectiveness of Corporate Governance Regulations in South-Eastern Europe

OpenAIRE

Ana Bobirca; Paul-Gabriel Miclaus

2007-01-01

The purpose of the article is to illustrate the main characteristics of the corporate governance challenge facing the countries of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) and to subsequently determine and assess the extensiveness and effectiveness of corporate governance regulations in these countries. Therefore, we start with an overview on the subject of the key problems of corporate governance in transition. We then address the issue of corporate governance measurement for SEE coun...

Mobile government implementation for government service delivery in developing countries: a South Africa context

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ogunleye, OS

2014-07-01

Full Text Available an opportunity to use of this platform to provide better service delivery to the citizens of the developing countries. This paper identifies major service delivery issues in South Africa. Various m-government systems that have been implemented in other countries...

Fostering eGovernment as State Social Responsibility (SSR: Case Study of an Australian City Council

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinara Rao Karna

2012-12-01

Full Text Available           Democracies around the world now face Citizen-apathy. This is a concern now more than ever faced by countries around the globe. eGovernment is undoubtedly a platform to deliberate and enable citizens regain confidence and faith in democratic  processes. Citizens now seek Verifiable, Open, Transparent, Empathetic, Responsive and Sensitive Electronic Democracy and Government (VOTERS EDG, Karna, 2012. Similar to corporate world, there are voices stressing on govenments for the need to understand the stakeholders, their involvement, relationships and responsibilities of a state in eGovernance. Citizens everywhere now demand Verifiable, Open, Transparent, Empathetic, Responsive and Sensitive Electronically Democratic Government as a State Social Responsibity (SSR. Peoples movements and outbursts against authorities with the help of Word of Mouse (Karna, 2012 have established that transparent and open governance is the need of the hour. This paper presents findings of the study conducted in an Australian City Council for preparing the city council for ‘City e-readiness’ to initiate e-Government activities. We propose the idea of ‘Centrality of Citizens’ in context of eGovernment. We further build upon the original concept of deeming eGovernment as ‘State Social Responsibility’ (SSR (Karna, 2010, by governments at all levels.  

A business model for a South African government public cloud platform

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mvelase, P

2014-05-01

Full Text Available of public services is conducted. This paper designs a cloud business model that suits South Africa’s perspective. The idea is to model a government public cloud which does not interfere with the secured business functions of the government but find a...

Reforming Security Sector Governance South Asia | CRDI - Centre ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

In South Asia, security discourse has traditionally been confined to government circles, with no room for voices from civil society. ... L'honorable Chrystia Freeland, ministre du Commerce international, a annoncé le lancement d'un nouveau projet financé par le Centre de recherches pour le développement international ...

Is there a role for traditional governance systems in South Africa's ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The transition to democracy in South Africa in 1994 catalysed new forms of governance in all sectors of society including water resource management. This paper examines the extent to which traditional governance systems have been acknowledged and incorporated into these new water management institutions and ...

The sociology of the Australian agricultural environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vanclay, F.

1994-01-01

Australian agriculture is in crisis, the terms of trade for agriculture are falling, many farmers have negative incomes, and there is massive structural adjustment with government policy assisting the exit of marginal farmers out of agriculture. Australian governments are gripped with the

Towards a conceptual model for an e-Government interoperability framework for South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kotze, Paula

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In September 2016, the South African Government published a White Paper on the National Integrated ICT Policy highlighting some principles for e-Government and the development of a detailed integrated national e-Government strategy and roadmap...

The public healthcare sector and governance in South Africa

OpenAIRE

Melody Brauns

2015-01-01

This article reviews literature on governance in order to facilitate an analysis of the governance of the South African public healthcare sector. Some of the key theoretical perspectives have been presented on how best to organise the state and its bureaucracy. Theorists have long interrogated in what way public institutions foster or impede economic growth. Evans and Rauch point out for example, that the role of bureaucratic authority structures in facilitating economic growth has been a soc...

Health-related quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-5L: South Australian population norms.

Science.gov (United States)

McCaffrey, Nikki; Kaambwa, Billingsley; Currow, David C; Ratcliffe, Julie

2016-09-20

Although a five level version of the widely-used EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument has been developed, population norms are not yet available for Australia to inform the future valuation of health in economic evaluations. The aim of this study was to estimate HrQOL normative values for the EQ-5D-5L preference-based measure in a large, randomly selected, community sample in South Australia. The EQ-5D-5L instrument was included in the 2013 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, an interviewer-administered, face-to-face, cross-sectional survey. Respondents rated their level of impairment across dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and global health rating on a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Utility scores were derived using the newly-developed UK general population-based algorithm and relationships between utility and EQ-VAS scores and socio-demographic factors were also explored using multivariate regression analyses. Ultimately, 2,908 adults participated in the survey (63.4 % participation rate). The mean utility and EQ-VAS scores were 0.91 (95 CI 0.90, 0.91) and 78.55 (95 % CI 77.95, 79.15), respectively. Almost half of respondents reported no problems across all dimensions (42.8 %), whereas only 7.2 % rated their health >90 on the EQ-VAS (100 = the best health you can imagine). Younger age, male gender, longer duration of education, higher annual household income, employment and marriage/de facto relationships were all independent, statistically significant predictors of better health status (p measured with the EQ-VAS. Only age and employment status were associated with higher utility scores, indicating fundamental differences between these measures of health status. This is the first Australian study to apply the EQ-5D-5L in a large, community sample. Overall, findings are consistent with EQ-5D-5L utility and VAS scores reported for other countries and indicate that the majority of South

Governing childhood obesity: framing regulation of fast food advertising in the Australian print media.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Julie; Coveney, John; Ward, Paul; Taylor, Anne

2009-11-01

Childhood obesity is widely constructed as reaching epidemic proportions with consumption of fast food viewed as a contributing factor. This paper analyses media reporting of the regulation of fast food consumption to children. A media search of five Australian newspapers for the period January 2006 to June 2008 elicited 100 articles relating to the regulation of fast food advertising to children. Content and thematic analysis of the articles reveal conflicting perspectives on the role of the state; the level of accountability of the food and advertising industries; and responsibilities of parents for regulating fast food consumption in children. The Federal Government, food and advertising industries and free to air broadcasters favour industry self-regulation and personal responsibility for fast food consumption while the proponents of government regulation include consumer groups, state government health ministers, nutrition and public health academics and medical and health foundations. The regulation of fast food advertising to children is discussed in relation to ideas about governance and the public health strategies which follow from these ideas. The paper argues that all proposed solutions are indicative of a neoliberal approach to the governance of health insofar as the responsibility for regulation of food marketing is viewed as lying with industry and the regulation of lifestyle risk is viewed as an individual responsibility.

Education leadership, management and governance in South Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book contains chapters on education leadership, management and governance in relation to schools in South Africa supplemented with a chapter on gender issues in Zimbabwe. It has been fifteen years since a new Constitution dawned, which promised a society based on the people of South Africa......, that recognized the injustices of the past and would be built on fundamental human rights and justice for all no matter their race, ethnicity, or economic power. South Africa has moved a long way in developing a democratic society. The emergence of this book is the result of a collaborative effort of people...... with diverse cultural, social and ethnic roots, who share a common belief in the development of a just and equal society, and who share a specific interest in developing schools as a fundamental element in developing this equal and just society....

The Adoption of Internal Audit as a Governance Control Mechanism in Australian Public Universities--Views from the CEOs

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher, Joe

2012-01-01

This study draws on the multi-theoretical approach to governance and the views of university chief executive officers (CEOs) to examine the extent to which internal auditing as a control mechanism is adopted in Australian public universities under an environment of change management. The findings highlight negative consequences of change and their…

The psychiatric profession and the Australian government: the debate over collective depression syndrome among asylum-seeking detainees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William W Bostock

2009-11-01

Full Text Available William W BostockSchool of Government, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaAbstract: Psychiatrists have long had involvement with the political process, both individually and as a profession. They have made valuable contributions to debate over such issues as war, conflict, terrorism, torture, human rights abuse, drug abuse, suicide and other public health issues. However, they have also been complicit in some gross atrocities. Over several years there has been debate over the Australian Government’s treatment of asylum seekers, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists took the unusual step of publicly criticizing the Australian Government’s policy on grounds of its toxicity leading to a diagnosis of collective depression syndrome, particularly among child detainees, but also adult detainees. The official Ministerial response was to deny that collective depression exists and to assert that the concept is meaningless. Can this intervention by psychiatrists be interpreted as a product of earlier political behaviors by psychiatrists? The willingness of psychiatrists to cooperate with other professions, notably psychologists, pediatricians, physicians and lawyers, is noted, as is presence of minority voices within the Australian psychiatric profession. The significance of the debate over the mental condition of asylum-seeking detainees is that its outcome has implications for how Australia sees itself and is seen by the rest of the world, that is, its national identity.Keywords: collective depression syndrome, psychiatric profession, political intervention, asylum seeker, Australian national identity

An exploration of the role of records management in corporate governance in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mpho Ngoepe

2013-08-01

Objectives: Utilising the King report III on corporate governance as a framework, this quantitative study explores the role of records management in corporate governance in governmental bodies of South Africa. Method: Report data were collected through questionnaires directed to records managers and auditors in governmental bodies, as well as interviews with purposively selected auditors from the Auditor-General of South Africa. Data were analysed using various analytical tools and through written descriptions, numerical summarisations and tables. Results: The study revealed that records management is not regarded as an essential component for corporate governance. Records management is only discussed as a footnote; as a result it is a forgotten function with no consequences in government administration in South Africa. The study further revealed that most governmental bodies have established internal audit units and audit committees. However, records-management professionals were excluded from such committees. Conclusion: The study concludes by arguing that if records management is removed as a footnote of the public-sector operations and placed in the centre of operational concern, it will undoubtedly make a meaningful contribution to good corporate governance.

The politics of service delivery in South Africa: The local government sphere in context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Purshottama S. Reddy

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The post-1994 democratic developmental South African state opted for a strong local government system which has been constitutionalised, in terms of Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. The politicisation of the local bureaucracy was inevitable as the ruling party sought to ensure that the executive leadership of municipalities shared the same political ideology and vision to facilitate local development. This raises the question, where does politicisation commence and end, and what is the ideal local political interface for efficient and effective service delivery and, more importantly, to ensure good governance? These questions have to take cognisance of the fact that South Africa is a ‘struggle democracy’ and development has to take place in historically disadvantaged areas, where services have been poor or non-existent. The historically advantaged areas have to also be maintained and upgraded, as they are key to financial sustainability of the municipalities. The increasing service delivery protests is a matter for concern, if one has to take cognisance of the popular adage highlighted in official literature, ‘if local government fails, South Arica fails’. Given that the struggles for a democratic South Africa were fought at the grassroots level, this has to translate to an improved quality of life for local communities. Consequently, sound political management is key to enhanced municipal service delivery and ultimately good local governance. This paper reviews political trends and developments up to 2016, but excludes any discussion on the recent local government elections.

Government's contribution to the development of translation in South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Bureau's failure to cope with its huge load of government work led to outsourcing translation work, and a realisation that the country needed a comprehensive strategy for translation service development. This included the introduction of translation courses or programmes at South African universities. Southern African ...

Government's contribution to the development of translation in South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The South African government has contributed tremendously to the development of translation, a contribution which is not always rightfully acknowledged or valued. The development of translation benefited significantly from the country's official bilingualism policy of 1910 which necessitated the translation of a variety of text ...

Telecommunications in South Africa: Governance of who is actually regulating?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L-F Pau

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Although the Republic of South Africa telecommunications market is a maturing one with a large customer base to serve, it has been repeatedly been observed over the past few years that many good intentions were formulated in the regulatory sphere with sometimes poor outcomes and unclear governance. A number of surprising observations have been made on the outcomes, the delays or other process related events linked to regulatory measures. The paper thus researches first, from a governance point of view, who is actually regulating the telecommunications industry; it identifies next opportunities and bottlenecks whereby a change might happen to reach the expected outcomes. A political economy methodology is taken, backed up by extensive field work over 2010 and 2011, leading to a web of conjectures providing answers to the first question, based on an extensive analysis of key stakeholders goals, positions and interactions. Finally, a number of measures are proposed to improve the governance, regulatory impact and efficiency, and evolve the South African telecommunications eco-system.

Gender and Governance in Conflict Zones: A South Asian Perspective

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... zones across South Asia, including laws that perpetuate a culture of impunity and ... women face when trying to influence governance practices in conflict zones: ... the media, non-governmental organizations, and others in three workshops ...

Australian uranium today

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisk, B.

1978-01-01

The subject is covered in sections, entitled: Australia's resources; Northern Territory uranium in perspective; the government's decision [on August 25, 1977, that there should be further development of uranium under strictly controlled conditions]; Government legislation; outlook [for the Australian uranium mining industry]. (U.K.)

TEACHER GOVERNANCE REFORMS AND SOCIAL COHESION IN SOUTH AFRICA: FROM INTENTION TO REALITY

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Thomas Salmon

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The governance of teachers during apartheid in South Africa was characterised by high levels of disparity in teacher distribution and in conditions of labour. In the post-apartheid context policies and interventions that govern teachers are critical, and teachers can be seen to be placed in a central role as actors whose distribution, employment, recruitment and deployment can serve to redress the past, promote equity and build trust for social cohesion. In this context, this paper examines several teacher governance mechanisms and interventions, namely the post provisioning norm and standards (PPNs, the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme (FLBP, and the South African Council of Educators. The analysis suggests that undifferentiated policy frameworks for teacher governance result in measures that weakly account for differing contextual realities and persistent inequality. Additionally, the emphasis on technocratic measures of accountability in teacher governance interventions constrains teachers’ agency to promote peace and social cohesion.

Governance, agricultural intensification, and land sparing in tropical South America.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceddia, Michele Graziano; Bardsley, Nicholas Oliver; Gomez-y-Paloma, Sergio; Sedlacek, Sabine

2014-05-20

In this paper we address two topical questions: How do the quality of governance and agricultural intensification impact on spatial expansion of agriculture? Which aspects of governance are more likely to ensure that agricultural intensification allows sparing land for nature? Using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the World Database on Protected Areas, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, we estimate a panel data model for six South American countries and quantify the effects of major determinants of agricultural land expansion, including various dimensions of governance, over the period 1970-2006. The results indicate that the effect of agricultural intensification on agricultural expansion is conditional on the quality and type of governance. When considering conventional aspects of governance, agricultural intensification leads to an expansion of agricultural area when governance scores are high. When looking specifically at environmental aspects of governance, intensification leads to a spatial contraction of agriculture when governance scores are high, signaling a sustainable intensification process.

A Reconceptualisation of "Knowing Asia" in Australian Education

Science.gov (United States)

Salter, Peta

2015-01-01

Since 1969, over 60 Australian government and non-government policies, documents, committees, working parties and organisations have explored the need to "know Asia". In schools, this engagement is conceptualised as "Asia literacy" and disseminated in the emerging Australian Curriculum through the cross-curriculum priority…

An exploration of the role of records management in corporate governance in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mpho Ngoepe

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Corporate governance maybe approached through several functions such as auditing, an internal audit committee, information management, compliance, corporate citizenship and risk management. However, most organisations, including governmental bodies, regularly exclude records management from the criteria for a good corporate-governance infrastructure. Proper records management could be the backbone of establishing good corporate governance.Objectives: Utilising the King report III on corporate governance as a framework, this quantitative study explores the role of records management in corporate governance in governmental bodies of South Africa.Method: Report data were collected through questionnaires directed to records managers and auditors in governmental bodies, as well as interviews with purposively selected auditors from the Auditor-General of South Africa. Data were analysed using various analytical tools and through written descriptions, numerical summarisations and tables.Results: The study revealed that records management is not regarded as an essential component for corporate governance. Records management is only discussed as a footnote; as a result it is a forgotten function with no consequences in government administration in South Africa. The study further revealed that most governmental bodies have established internal audit units and audit committees. However, records-management professionals were excluded from such committees.Conclusion: The study concludes by arguing that if records management is removed as a footnote of the public-sector operations and placed in the centre of operational concern, it will undoubtedly make a meaningful contribution to good corporate governance.

Using economic policy to tackle chronic disease: options for the Australian Government.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplin, Lauren; Thow, Anne Marie

2013-03-01

Australia suffers from one of the highest prevalences among developed countries of persons being overweight and obese, these conditions arising from the overconsumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods that are generally less expensive than healthier options. One potential avenue for intervention is to influence the price of foods such that healthier options are less expensive and, therefore, are an easier choice to make. This article considers the potential for fiscal policies that would realign food prices with health incentives. Through a review of consumption taxes, consumer subsidies, trade policies, agricultural support policies, and other incentive programs as possible avenues for intervention, this article asks what the Commonwealth Government has already done to help improve Australian diets, and looks at where further improvements could be made.

Is Urban Planning in Australia Hindered by Poor Metropolitan Governance?

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Paul Burton

2017-11-01

Full Text Available There are many calls for urban planning in Australia to be reformed, although often in contradictory ways. For example, some argue it should be capable of delivering greater certainty to developers while others call for more flexibility in processes of urban development regulation; some would like to roll back its regulatory impact while others argue for a renewal of planning’s commitment to promoting social and spatial justice. The Australian planning system is also held to be hindered by a comparative lack of planning at and for the metropolitan scale. This is connected to the absence of well-developed structures of metropolitan governance in what is a three-tier federal system, with most power over planning concentrated at the State and Territory government scale. The paper explores this putative hindrance by considering three important issues in Australian urban policy debates about the efficacy of contemporary multi-level governance arrangements: spatial scale; identity and legitimacy; and efficiency and effectiveness. It includes some analysis of the case made for a more explicit and rigorous national urban policy and how this might relate to lower level planning regimes. The paper focuses on recent urban policy and planning initiatives in South East Queensland, one of Australia’s fastest growing metropolitan regions, and concludes that while incremental but nonetheless significant improvements in planning policy and practice are possible, these are unlikely to satisfy those calling for more radical changes to improve the Australian planning system.

Governance, agricultural intensification, and land sparing in tropical South America

OpenAIRE

CEDDIA Michele Graziano; BARDSLEY N. O.; GOMEZ Y PALOMA Sergio; SEDLACEK S

2014-01-01

In this paper we address two topical questions: How do the quality of governance and agricultural intensification impact on spatial expansion of agriculture? Which aspects of governance are more likely to ensure that agricultural intensification allows sparing land for nature? Using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the World Database on Protected Areas, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, we estimate a panel data model for six South A...

Training at the Australian School of Nuclear Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culley, D.; Fredsall, J.R.; Toner, B.

1987-01-01

The Australian School of Nuclear Technology was founded in 1964 as a joint enterprise of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and the University of New South Wales to support nuclear developments primarily in Australia. However, ASNT has developed into an important centre for nuclear science and technology training within the South East Asian Region with participants also attending from countries outside this Region. (author)

Training at the Australian School of Nuclear Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culley, D.; Fredsall, J.R.; Toner, B.

1987-04-01

The Australian School of Nuclear Technology (ASNT) was founded in 1964 as a joint enterprise of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and the University of New South Wales to support nuclear developments primarily in Australia. However, ASNT has developed into an important centre for nuclear science and technology training within the South East Asian Region with participants also attending from countries outside this Region

The role of local government in redressing neighbourhood disadvantage: A case study from Penrith City Council

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Jason Prior

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The concentration of disadvantage in specific neighbourhoods is a widespread characteristic of many Australian cities. A broad range of policies and programs which utilize integrated forms of governance have been designed and implemented to redress this. Within the state of New South Wales, Australia, local governments have been identified as being amongst the most effective drivers for these integrated governance approaches. Utilizing a case study of the Penrith Neighbourhood Renewal Program, this paper explores recent attempts by Penrith City Council to develop a framework to redress neighbourhood disadvantage, firstly by establishing an integrated governance framework for the program, and secondly by transforming the council’s operational structure.

Demographic indicators of trust in federal, state and local government: implications for Australian health policy makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Samantha B; Mamerow, Loreen; Taylor, Anne W; Henderson, Julie; Ward, Paul R; Coveney, John

2013-02-01

To provide baseline findings regarding Australians' trust in federal, state and local government. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) survey was administrated during October to December 2009 to a random sample (n=1109) across Australia (response rate 41.2%). Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out by means of SPSS. Age, household size, household income, IRSD and ARIA were found to be significant indicators for trust in federal, state and local government. Trust in state government is lower for older respondents and respondents living in inner and outer regional areas. Trust in local council is lower in respondents living in inner regional areas, respondents living in disadvantaged areas, and respondents in the income bracket of $60001 to $100000. Trust in federal government is lower for older respondents and respondents living in disadvantaged areas. Of note is diminished trust in government among older, regional and lower income ($30001-$60000) respondents. Trust in all levels of government was found to be the lowest in population groups that are identified by empirical research and media to have the poorest access to government services. As a consequence, improved access to services for these populations may increase trust in health policy. Increased trust in health governance may in turn, ensure effective dissemination and implementation of health policies and that existing inequities are not perpetuated through distrust of health information and policy initiatives.

NatureLinks: Protected areas, wilderness, and landscape connectivity in South Australia, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Adrian Stokes; Greg Leaman

2007-01-01

The South Australian Government has recognized that, despite an extensive protected area system (26 percent of the State), Statewide ecological goals will not be achieved on protected areas alone. The NatureLinks model promotes protected areas acting as “ecological cores” in landscapes managed with conservation objectives. To implement this model, partnerships with...

Governance, agricultural intensification, and land sparing in tropical South America

Science.gov (United States)

Ceddia, Michele Graziano; Bardsley, Nicholas Oliver; Gomez-y-Paloma, Sergio; Sedlacek, Sabine

2014-01-01

In this paper we address two topical questions: How do the quality of governance and agricultural intensification impact on spatial expansion of agriculture? Which aspects of governance are more likely to ensure that agricultural intensification allows sparing land for nature? Using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the World Database on Protected Areas, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, we estimate a panel data model for six South American countries and quantify the effects of major determinants of agricultural land expansion, including various dimensions of governance, over the period 1970–2006. The results indicate that the effect of agricultural intensification on agricultural expansion is conditional on the quality and type of governance. When considering conventional aspects of governance, agricultural intensification leads to an expansion of agricultural area when governance scores are high. When looking specifically at environmental aspects of governance, intensification leads to a spatial contraction of agriculture when governance scores are high, signaling a sustainable intensification process. PMID:24799696

The politics of accountability for school curriculum: An Australian case study

Science.gov (United States)

Smithson, Alan

1987-03-01

This normative-descriptive case study of accountability for state school curriculum in South Australia has the following objectives. First, to seek to draw a distinction between accountability and responsibility: terms which have been confused by two South Australian Directors-General of Education (position akin to C.E.O. in the U.K. and Superintendent in the U.S.A.) with important consequences. Second, to present a model of accountability for state school curriculum, by which accountability for such curriculum may be judged democratic or non-democratic, and against which accountability for curriculum in South Australian state schools will be gauged. Third, to show that whilst the South Australian school system exhibits a large measure of bureaucratic or technocratic accountability for curriculum, there is no effective democratic accountability for curriculum, and to indicate a remedy for this situation. Finally, to point out the wider significance of the South Australian case study, and suggest that democracies currently re-structuring their educational systems would do well to keep the need for democratic accountability foremost in mind.

Liberal Party Politics, the South African War, and the Rhetoric of Imperial Governance.

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Mackley, Simon

2018-03-01

This article examines the imperial rhetoric of the Liberal Party during the South African War of 1899-1902, charting its use and development across five key controversies spanning the course of the conflict. Moving beyond traditional interpretations of the Liberal split as the product of competing visions of Empire and approaches to imperialism, this article argues for the need to recognize also the continuities within the imperial rhetoric of fin-de-siècle British Liberalism. Building on recent studies of political languages, it identifies how Liberal speakers from across the party operated within a rhetorical framework that emphasized three ideals of imperial governance: good government, self-government, and pluralism. In doing so, this article seeks to advance our understanding of the South African War as an episode in British party politics, demonstrating the complexity and nuance of the Liberal Party's response to the conflict. Furthermore, by undertaking an in-depth exploration of the rhetoric of imperial governance, this article highlights the Liberal response to the South African War as a case study for the reinvention and reiteration of both party and imperial languages in early twentieth-century Britain, with the potential to offer new insights into the political and imperial cultures of the period.

HF Radar Observations of Current, Wave and Wind Parameters in the South Australian Gulf

Science.gov (United States)

Middleditch, A.; Cosoli, S.

2016-12-01

The Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network (ACORN) has been measuring metocean parameters from an array of HF radar systems since 2007. Current, wave and wind measurements from a WERA phased-array radar system in the South Australian Gulf are evaluated using current meter, wave buoy and weather station data over a 12-month period. The spatial and temporal scales of the radar deployment have been configured for the measurement of surface currents from the first order backscatter spectra. Quality control procedures are applied to the radar currents that relate to the geometric configurations, statistical properties, and diagnostic variables provided by the analysis software. Wave measurements are obtained through an iterative inversion algorithm that provides an estimate of the directional frequency spectrum. The standard static configurations and data sampling strategies are not optimised for waves and so additional signal processing steps need to be implemented in order to provide reliable estimates. These techniques are currently only applied in offline mode but a real-time approach is in development. Improvements in the quality of extracted wave data are found through increased averaging of the raw radar data but the impact of temporal non-stationarity and spatial inhomogeneities in the WERA measurement region needs to be taken into account. Validations of wind direction data from a weather station on Neptune Island show the potential of using HF radar to combat the spread of bushfires in South Australia.

The public healthcare sector and governance in South Africa

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Melody Brauns

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This article reviews literature on governance in order to facilitate an analysis of the governance of the South African public healthcare sector. Some of the key theoretical perspectives have been presented on how best to organise the state and its bureaucracy. Theorists have long interrogated in what way public institutions foster or impede economic growth. Evans and Rauch point out for example, that the role of bureaucratic authority structures in facilitating economic growth has been a sociological concern since Max Weber’s classic contributions almost 100 years ago. These debates and others are explored in this article with specific reference to the provision of equitable public healthcare. Weber’s theory on rational bureaucracy as well as New Public Management will be reviewed as these theories offer two distinct approaches to governance

Local Government Internal Audit Compliance

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Greg Jones

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Local government councils (LGC rely on a number of funding sources including state and federal governments as well as their community constituents to enable them to provide a range of public services. Given the constraints on these funding sources councils need to have in place a range of strategies and policies capable of providing good governance and must appropriately discharge their financial accountabilities. To assist LGC with meeting their governance and accountability obligations they often seek guidance from their key stakeholders. For example, in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW, the Office of Local Government has developed a set of guidelines, the Internal Audit Guidelines. In 2010 the NSW Office of Local Government issued revised guidelines emphasising that an internal audit committee is an essential component of good governance. In addition, the guidelines explained that to improve the governance and accountability of the councils, these committees should be composed of a majority of independent members. To maintain committee independence the guidelines indicated that the Mayor should not be a member of the committee. However these are only guidelines, not legislated requirements and as such compliance with the guidelines, before they were revised, has been demonstrated to be quite low (Jones & Bowrey 2013. This study, based on a review of NSW Local Government Councils’ 2012/2013 reports, including Annual Reportsrelation to internal audit committees, to determine if the guidelines are effective in improving local government council governance.

Government procurement, preferences and international trading rules : the South African case

OpenAIRE

DUBE, Memory; JOHANNES, Liezemarie; LEWIS, David

2015-01-01

This paper reviews the South African government procurement regime and asks whether adherence to international trading instruments and rules, and in particular the World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement, would, and should, permit the maintenance of national policy criteria in the decision making matrix for procurement, whilst simultaneously enabling it to realise the efficiency gains of trade liberalisation. It also examines the likely impact, if any, that adherence to th...

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults: A Study From the South Australian Population-Based Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Vatandoust, Sina; Price, Timothy J; Ullah, Shahid; Roy, Amitesh C; Beeke, Carole; Young, Joanne P; Townsend, Amanda; Padbury, Robert; Roder, David; Karapetis, Christos S

2016-03-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy. There is growing evidence that CRC incidence is increasing in the younger population. There is controversy surrounding the prognosis of young patients with CRC. In this study we reviewed Australian patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) who were younger than 40 years of age at the time of diagnosis of metastatic disease. To our knowledge this is the first study to focus on this age group with mCRC. This was a retrospective study using data from the South Australian Metastatic Colorectal Cancer database. We compared patient and disease characteristics, management approaches, and outcomes for age groups Young-onset mCRC patients, when defined as aged younger than 40 years, have equivalent survival compared with their older counterparts. This is despite differences in disease characteristics and management approach between the 2 groups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Baseline Knowledge of Islam and Muslims: A Study of Australian Government Crisis Communication Officials

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Kate O'Donnell

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study examined the level of knowledge Australian crisis communications officials had about Islam and Muslims. It did so at a time when the Commonwealth Government has warned in the current national security environment that a terrorist attack could be experienced at any time, and where the most serious threat emanated from those holding what the government described as a “deviant” view of Islam. The study identified that Media Liaison Officers (n=72 have low levels of knowledge about this religious faith, and that they were aware of their lack of understanding. These findings raise policy concerns about the extent to which Media Liaison Officers can differentiate between Islam and deviant interpretations of the faith. With the pivotal role that Media Liaison Officers play in crisis communication—including briefing and educating journalists when a terrorist event occurs—these findings present crisis managers with several challenges; including recruitment, training, and ongoing professional development.

Moving beyond a "Bums-on-Seats" Analysis of Progress towards Widening Participation: Reflections on the Context, Design and Evaluation of an Australian Government-Funded Mentoring Programme

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Julianne; Walker-Gibbs, Bernadette; Herbert, Sandra

2015-01-01

In 2010, the Australian government established the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme--a funding agenda to promote programmes that respond to the under-representation in higher education of people from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Many government-funded programmes and projects have since emerged that respond…

Governing mobile technology use for continuing professional development in the Australian nursing profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, Carey Ann; Gale, Fred; Cummings, Elizabeth Anne

2017-01-01

The rapid growth in the use of mobile technology in Australia has outpaced its governance, especially in healthcare settings. Whilst some Australian professional bodies and organisations have developed standards and guidelines to direct appropriate use of social media and mobile technology, clear governance arrangements regarding when, where and how to use mobile technology at point of care in nursing are currently lacking. This paper analyses how the use of mobile technology by nurses at point of care is governed. It highlights the existence of a mobile technology paradox: an identified inability of nurses to access mobile technology in a context where it is increasingly recognised that its use in situ can enhance nursing practice while contributing to mobile learning and continuing professional development. While the recent release of the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice and accompanying Standard for Continuing Professional Development provides some direction regarding professional standards to support the use of mobile technology for mobile learning, we argue a more inclusive approach is required if emerging technologies are to be fully embraced. We describe how an implementation framework, underpinned by more detailed standards, guidelines and codes, could enable the nursing profession to be leaders in embedding mobile technology in healthcare environments nationally and globally. The prevalence of mobile technology in Australia has outpaced its governance in healthcare environments. Its limited availability at point of care is hindering nursing practice, mobile learning and continuing professional development. We discuss the emergence of mobile technology and impediments for its use by nurses in situ. We analyse the professional codes governing nursing, outlining potential reforms to enable implementation of mobile technology at point of care by nurses.

Who do people talk to about healthy lifestyles? A South Australian survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Moorhead, R G

1992-12-01

To investigate who people talk to about healthy lifestyle a personal interview of people in a representative sample of South Australians was carried out. The information was collected by interview from all occupants of selected private dwellings who were aged 15 years or older. The interviewer used a prompt card with nine possible responses and the question asked was "which one of these would you be most likely to talk about healthy lifestyle changes?" Forty-four per cent nominated the general practitioner and 22% a family member. People who were either married or in a de facto relationship (30%) significantly chose a general practitioner more than others (14%) (P adviser (P advisers.

Values-Based Education in Schools in the 2000s: The Australian Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Leichsenring, Andrew

2010-01-01

This thesis explores the teaching of values in Australian schools through a framework established by the Australian Federal government during the 2000s. This paper focuses on: the approaches employed by the Australian Federal government in the implementation of Values Education; and the application of cases of values-based education utilized by…

An Australian view of the uranium market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, B.

1978-01-01

The subject is covered in sections, entitled as shown. Numerical data are indicated in parenthesis. Introduction (principal Australian uranium deposits, possible Australian production, estimates of world-wide uranium resources and production, estimates of world-wide uranium requirements); Australian marketing policy; commercial considerations; uncertainties affecting the industry, including unnecessary and undesirable government involvement, and supply and demand. (U.K.)

THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LIMITED SOUTH ASIAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS AFTER FINANCIAL CRISIS

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Dinh Tran Ngoc Huy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available After the recent global crisis, corporate scandals and bankruptcy in US and Europe, there is some certain evidence on weak corporate governance, risk management and audit system. The 2009 India Code of Corporate Governance also revealed that during the crisis time, there are certain weaknesses although corporate structure is fairly durable. Hence, this paper chooses a different analytical approach and among its aims is to give some systematic opinions. First, it classifies limited South Asian representative corporate governance (CG standards into two (2 groups: India and Malaysia latest CG principles covered in group 1 and, group 2, including corporate governance principle from Thailand and Indonesia, so-called relative good CG group, while it uses ACCA and OECD and ICGN principles as reference. Second, it, through analysis, identifies differences and advantages between above set of standards which are and have been used as reference principles for many relevant organizations. Third, it establishes a selected comparative set of standards for South Asian representative corporate governance system in accordance to international standards. Last but not least, this paper covers some ideas and policy suggestions.

A conceptual schema for government purchasing arrangements for Australian alcohol and other drug treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritter, Alison; Hull, Philip; Berends, Lynda; Chalmers, Jenny; Lancaster, Kari

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to establish a conceptual schema for government purchasing of alcohol and other drug treatment in Australia which could encompass the diversity and variety in purchasing arrangements, and facilitate better decision-maker by purchasers. There is a limited evidence base on purchasing arrangements in alcohol and drug treatment despite the clear impact of purchasing arrangements on both treatment processes and treatment outcomes. The relevant health and social welfare literature on purchasing arrangements was reviewed; data were collected from Australian purchasers and providers of treatment giving detailed descriptions of the array of purchasing arrangements. Combined analysis of the literature and the Australian purchasing data resulted in a draft schema which was then reviewed by an expert committee and subsequently finalised. The conceptual schema presented here was purpose-built for alcohol and other drug treatment, with its overlap between health and social welfare services. It has three dimensions: 1. The ways in which providers are chosen; 2. The ways in which services are paid for; and 3. How price is managed. Distinguishing between the methods for choosing providers (such as competitive or individually negotiated processes) from the way in which organisations are paid for their provision of treatment (such as via a block grant or payment for activity) provides conceptual clarity and enables closer analysis of each mechanism. Governments can improve health and wellbeing by making informed decisions about the way they purchase and fund alcohol and other drug treatment. Research comparing different purchasing arrangements can provide a vital evidence-base to inform funders; however a first step is to accurately and consistently categorise current approaches against a typology or conceptual schema. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teacher Governance Reforms and Social Cohesion in South Africa: From Intention to Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Salmon, Thomas; Sayed, Yusuf

2016-01-01

The governance of teachers during apartheid in South Africa was characterised by high levels of disparity in teacher distribution and in conditions of labour. In the post-apartheid context policies and interventions that govern teachers are critical, and teachers can be seen to be placed in a central role as actors whose distribution, employment,…

Diffusing the Ubuntu philosophy into e-government: a South African perspective

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Twinomurinzi, H

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This chapter reviews the context of the South African government and its conspicuous inclination to the way of life, Ubuntu. Ubuntu is growing in popularity and is increasingly being applied as an African solution to African problems such as poverty...

One Health research and training and government support for One Health in South Asia

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Joanna S. McKenzie

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Considerable advocacy, funding, training, and technical support have been provided to South Asian countries to strengthen One Health (OH collaborative approaches for controlling diseases with global human pandemic potential since the early 2000s. It is essential that the OH approach continues to be strengthened given South Asia is a hot spot for emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases. The objectives of this article are to describe OH research and training and capacity building activities and the important developments in government support for OH in these countries to identify current achievements and gaps. Materials and methods: A landscape analysis of OH research, training, and government support in South Asia was generated by searching peer-reviewed and grey literature for OH research publications and reports, a questionnaire survey of people potentially engaged in OH research in South Asia and the authors’ professional networks. Results: Only a small proportion of zoonotic disease research conducted in South Asia can be described as truly OH, with a significant lack of OH policy-relevant research. A small number of multisectoral OH research and OH capacity building programmes were conducted in the region. The governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan have established operational OH strategies, with variable progress institutionalising OH in other countries. Identified gaps were a lack of useful scientific information and of a collaborative culture for formulating and implementing integrated zoonotic disease control policies and the need for ongoing support for transdisciplinary OH research and policy-relevant capacity building programmes. Discussion: Overall we found a very small number of truly OH research and capacity building programmes in South Asia. Even though significant progress has been made in institutionalising OH in some South Asian countries, further behavioural, attitudinal, and institutional changes are required to

One Health research and training and government support for One Health in South Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, Joanna S; Dahal, Rojan; Kakkar, Manish; Debnath, Nitish; Rahman, Mahmudur; Dorjee, Sithar; Naeem, Khalid; Wijayathilaka, Tikiri; Sharma, Barun Kumar; Maidanwal, Nasir; Halimi, Asmatullah; Kim, Eunmi; Chatterjee, Pranab; Devleesschauwer, Brecht

2016-01-01

Considerable advocacy, funding, training, and technical support have been provided to South Asian countries to strengthen One Health (OH) collaborative approaches for controlling diseases with global human pandemic potential since the early 2000s. It is essential that the OH approach continues to be strengthened given South Asia is a hot spot for emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases. The objectives of this article are to describe OH research and training and capacity building activities and the important developments in government support for OH in these countries to identify current achievements and gaps. A landscape analysis of OH research, training, and government support in South Asia was generated by searching peer-reviewed and grey literature for OH research publications and reports, a questionnaire survey of people potentially engaged in OH research in South Asia and the authors' professional networks. Only a small proportion of zoonotic disease research conducted in South Asia can be described as truly OH, with a significant lack of OH policy-relevant research. A small number of multisectoral OH research and OH capacity building programmes were conducted in the region. The governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan have established operational OH strategies, with variable progress institutionalising OH in other countries. Identified gaps were a lack of useful scientific information and of a collaborative culture for formulating and implementing integrated zoonotic disease control policies and the need for ongoing support for transdisciplinary OH research and policy-relevant capacity building programmes. Overall we found a very small number of truly OH research and capacity building programmes in South Asia. Even though significant progress has been made in institutionalising OH in some South Asian countries, further behavioural, attitudinal, and institutional changes are required to strengthen OH research and training and implementation of sustainably effective

Improving Business Investment Confidence in Culture-Aligned Indigenous Economies in Remote Australian Communities: A Business Support Framework to Better Inform Government Programs

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Ann E. Fleming

2015-06-01

Full Text Available There is significant evidence that culture-aligned economies are more effective in engaging remote-living Indigenous Australians in work long-term. Despite this evidence, governments remain resistant to investing substantially in these economies, with the result that low employment rates persist. This article argues that governmental systems of organisation are not designed to support non-mainstream economies and this position is unlikely to change. Similarly, the commercial sector lacks confidence that investing in culture-aligned economies will generate financial returns. This article presents a localised, pragmatic approach to Indigenous business support that works within existing systems of government, business and culture. Most unsuccessful programs fail to recognise the full suite of critical factors for sustained market engagement by both business and Indigenous people. This article reports on work to bring all critical factors together into a business support framework to inform the design and implementation of an aquaculture development program in a remote Indigenous Australian community.

Pathological Corporate Governance Deficiencies in South Africa's State-Owned Companies: A Critical Reflection

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Tebello

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Globally, states use state-owned companies (SOCs or public corporations to provide public goods, limit private and foreign control of the domestic economy, generate public funds for the fiscus, increase service delivery and encourage economic development and industrialisation. Particularly given its unique socio-political and economic dynamics, a country such as South Africa clearly needs this type of strategic enterprise. Yet, that does not mean that everything at our SOCs is as it should be. The beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC has recently seen the resignation of board members, shareholder interference in its operational affairs, and a high turnover of chief accounting officers and other executive management members. Due to non-performance, it has also received several cash injections from its shareholder to enable it to continue to deliver its services. In addition, the shareholder minister took it upon herself to amend the SABC's memorandum of incorporation, conferring upon herself the authority to appoint, suspend or even dismiss key executive members. South African Airways (SAA, in turn, has had seven CEOs in less than four years, has had to be bailed out at a cost of R550 million, and has in addition been granted a R5 billion guarantee by the shareholder for a restructuring exercise. Other SOCs such as Eskom, the Post Office and Telkom have also experienced high board and executive management turnover, perennial underperformance necessitating regular bailouts, and challenges regarding the division of power between their boards and the various shareholder ministers. Another issue that seems to plague South Africa's SOCs is the appointment of board members and executive officials with questionable qualifications. By critically examining the corporate governance challenges besetting the SABC, SAA and Eskom in particular, this article seeks to explore the root causes of the corporate governance deficiencies of SOCs

The role of the general practitioner in the Australian approach to HIV care: interviews with 'key informants' from government, non-government and professional organisations.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Christy E; de Wit, John B F; Kippax, Susan C; Reynolds, Robert H; Canavan, Peter G; Kidd, Michael R

2012-03-01

HIV care is provided in a range of settings in Australia, but advances in HIV treatment and demographic and geographic changes in the affected population and general practitioner (GP) workforce are testing the sustainability of the special role for GPs. This paper explores how a group of 'key informants' described the role of the GP in the Australian approach to HIV care, and conceptualised the challenges currently inspiring debate around future models of care. A thematic analysis was conducted of semistructured interviews carried out in 2010 with 24 professionals holding senior roles in government, non-government and professional organisations that influence Australian HIV care policy. The strengths of the role of the GP were described as their community setting, collaborative partnership with other medical and health professions, and focus on patient needs. A number of associated challenges were also identified including the different needs of GPs with high and low HIV caseloads, the changing expectations of professional roles in general practice, and barriers to service accessibility for people living with HIV. While there are many advantages to delivering HIV services in primary care, GPs need flexible models of training and accreditation, support in strengthening relationships with other health and medical professionals, and assistance in achieving service accessibility. Consideration of how to support the GP workforce so that care can be made available in the broadest range of geographical and service settings is also critical if systems of HIV care delivery are to be realistic and cost-effective and meet consumer needs.

Good Governance in Public Procurement: A South African Case Study

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R Roos

2008-08-01

Full Text Available In this article good governance in public procurement, with particular reference to accountability is discussed. The principle of providing adequate remedies in public procurement is put under the spotlight. This is done with reference to the decision in Steenkamp NO v Provincial Tender Board, Eastern Cape. In this case the Constitutional Court had to consider whether an initially successful tenderer could lodge a delictual claim for damages to compensate for expenses incurred after conclusion of a contract, which was subsequently rendered void on an application for review of the tender award. The applicable principles of good governance and the applicable provisions of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement and the WTO plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement are analysed. This is done to enable an evaluation of the decision by the Constitutional Court in the above case. It is concluded that the South African public procurement system does in this instance comply with the basic principles of good governance with regard to accountability.

Governing Knowledge: The Formalization Dilemma in the Governance of the Public Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Woelert, Peter

2015-01-01

This paper offers a conceptually novel contribution to the understanding of the distinctive governance challenges arising from the increasing reliance on formalized knowledge in the governance of research activities. It uses the current Australian research governance system as an example--a system which exhibits a comparatively strong degree of…

Cooperation at different scales: challenges for local and international water resource governance in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mirumachi, N

2010-03-01

Full Text Available . This paper examines how the cooperative principle has influenced stakeholder interaction at the local and international scales of water governance in South Africa. Water policies and initiatives have been set up to promote multi-level governance...

Effective University Teaching: Views of Australian University Students from Low Socio-Economic Status Backgrounds

Science.gov (United States)

Devlin, Marcia; O'Shea, Helen

2012-01-01

As the Australian higher education population further diversifies as a result of federal government policy changes, the collective understanding of effective university teaching in the Australian context will need to evolve to incorporate such shifts. The Australian Government has set clear targets for increased university participation of people…

Accrual Financial Reporting In the Australian Public Sector: An Economic Perspective

OpenAIRE

Marc Robinson

1999-01-01

Australian governments have recently moved from cash accounting to accrual accounting. This paper discusses a number of issues pertaining to key accrual fiscal measures. Governments have adopted Australian Accounting Standard 31 as their principle accounting framework, relegating the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ alternative GFS accrual framework to a secondary role. AAS and GFS differ in key respects in the derivation of the operating result. This paper suggests that the ABS framework is ...

Crossing borders: extraterritorial application of Australian directors’ duties

OpenAIRE

McKeown, Peter Julian Joseph

2017-01-01

Australian corporations operate in an increasingly international environment. It has intuitive appeal that Australian law should regulate the conduct of directors of Australian corporations even if it occurs outside Australia. This however can create tension with the competing rights of the foreign state in whose territory this conduct occurs to regulate such conduct. This thesis examines two questions. Firstly, does Australian law governing directors’ duties in fact apply to activities of a ...

New South Wales Child Development Study (NSW-CDS): an Australian multiagency, multigenerational, longitudinal record linkage study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Vaughan J; Harris, Felicity; Raudino, Alessandra; Luo, Luming; Kariuki, Maina; Liu, Enwu; Tzoumakis, Stacy; Smith, Maxwell; Holbrook, Allyson; Bore, Miles; Brinkman, Sally; Lenroot, Rhoshel; Dix, Katherine; Dean, Kimberlie; Laurens, Kristin R; Green, Melissa J

2016-02-11

The initial aim of this multiagency, multigenerational record linkage study is to identify childhood profiles of developmental vulnerability and resilience, and to identify the determinants of these profiles. The eventual aim is to identify risk and protective factors for later childhood-onset and adolescent-onset mental health problems, and other adverse social outcomes, using subsequent waves of record linkage. The research will assist in informing the development of public policy and intervention guidelines to help prevent or mitigate adverse long-term health and social outcomes. The study comprises a population cohort of 87,026 children in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW). The cohort was defined by entry into the first year of full-time schooling in NSW in 2009, at which time class teachers completed the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) on each child (with 99.7% coverage in NSW). The AEDC data have been linked to the children's birth, health, school and child protection records for the period from birth to school entry, and to the health and criminal records of their parents, as well as mortality databases. Descriptive data summarising sex, geographic and socioeconomic distributions, and linkage rates for the various administrative databases are presented. Child data are summarised, and the mental health and criminal records data of the children's parents are provided. In 2015, at age 11 years, a self-report mental health survey was administered to the cohort in collaboration with government, independent and Catholic primary school sectors. A second record linkage, spanning birth to age 11 years, will be undertaken to link this survey data with the aforementioned administrative databases. This will enable a further identification of putative risk and protective factors for adverse mental health and other outcomes in adolescence, which can then be tested in subsequent record linkages. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For

Biobank classification in an Australian setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rush, Amanda; Christiansen, Jeffrey H; Farrell, Jake P; Goode, Susan M; Scott, Rodney J; Spring, Kevin J; Byrne, Jennifer A

2015-06-01

In 2011, Watson and Barnes proposed a schema for classifying biobanks into 3 groups (mono-, oligo-, and poly-user), primarily based upon biospecimen access policies. We used results from a recent comprehensive survey of cancer biobanks in New South Wales, Australia to assess the applicability of this biobank classification schema in an Australian setting. Cancer biobanks were identified using publically available data, and by consulting with research managers. A comprehensive survey was developed and administered through a face-to-face setting. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel™ 2010 and IBM SPSS Statistics™ version 21.0. The cancer biobank cohort (n=23) represented 5 mono-user biobanks, 7 oligo-user biobanks, and 11 poly-user biobanks, and was analyzed as two groups (mono-/oligo- versus poly-user biobanks). Poly-user biobanks employed significantly more full-time equivalent staff, and were significantly more likely to have a website, share staff between biobanks, access governance support, utilize quality control measures, be aware of biobanking best practice documents, and offer staff training. Mono-/oligo-user biobanks were significantly more likely to seek advice from other biobanks. Our results further delineate a biobank classification system that is primarily based on access policy, and demonstrate its relevance in an Australian setting.

Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice: Reviewing the functions and powers of local government in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annette Christmas

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The chairperson of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on local government recently described local government in South Africa as “a chicken whose legs have been tied for too long”. In other words, even when the fetters that bind the chicken’s legs are loosed, it remains at a loss for what to do with its newfound freedom (Tsenoli 2007. This descriptive analogy ostensibly refers to the failure of local government to harness its newfound power in post-apartheid South Africa and to claim its rightful position as the driver of development at the local level, and instigator of bottom-up growth and progress, which is meant to shape and transform society in the new South Africa.

Australian doctors and the visual arts. Part 1. Doctor-artists in New South Wales.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, D G

Since Europeans first settled in Australia their doctors have been interested in the visual arts. Some have been hobby painters and sculptors, a few with great distinction. Some have been gallery supporters and administrators. A few have written art books. Some have been outstanding photographers. Of the larger number of doctors who have collected art, only those are mentioned who have made their collections public or have made important donations to galleries. The subject of Australian doctors and the visual arts will be discussed in six articles in this and following issues of the journal. The first deals with doctor-artists in New South Wales.

The Australian government's review of positron emission tomography: evidence-based policy-making in action.

Science.gov (United States)

Ware, Robert E; Francis, Hilton W; Read, Kenneth E

2004-06-21

The Commonwealth Government constituted the Medicare Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) to implement its commitment to entrench the principles of evidence-based medicine in Australian clinical practice. With its recent review of positron emission tomography (PETReview), the Commonwealth intervened in an established MSAC process, and sanctioned the stated objective to restrict expenditure on the technology. In our opinion: The evaluation of evidence by PETReview was fundamentally compromised by a failure to meet the terms of reference, poor science, poor process and unique decision-making benchmarks. By accepting the recommendations of PETReview, the Commonwealth is propagating information which is not of the highest quality. The use of inferior-quality information for decision-making by doctors, patients and policy-makers is likely to harm rather than enhance healthcare outcomes.

A balanced Kalman filter ocean data assimilation system with application to the South Australian Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi; Toumi, Ralf

2017-08-01

In this paper, an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) based regional ocean data assimilation system has been developed and applied to the South Australian Sea. This system consists of the data assimilation algorithm provided by the NCAR Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) and the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS). We describe the first implementation of the physical balance operator (temperature-salinity, hydrostatic and geostrophic balance) to DART, to reduce the spurious waves which may be introduced during the data assimilation process. The effect of the balance operator is validated in both an idealised shallow water model and the ROMS model real case study. In the shallow water model, the geostrophic balance operator eliminates spurious ageostrophic waves and produces a better sea surface height (SSH) and velocity analysis and forecast. Its impact increases as the sea surface height and wind stress increase. In the real case, satellite-observed sea surface temperature (SST) and SSH are assimilated in the South Australian Sea with 50 ensembles using the Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter (EAKF). Assimilating SSH and SST enhances the estimation of SSH and SST in the entire domain, respectively. Assimilation with the balance operator produces a more realistic simulation of surface currents and subsurface temperature profile. The best improvement is obtained when only SSH is assimilated with the balance operator. A case study with a storm suggests that the benefit of the balance operator is of particular importance under high wind stress conditions. Implementing the balance operator could be a general benefit to ocean data assimilation systems.

Examining the possible influence of societal violence on governance effectiveness in South Africa

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Collins C Ngwakwe

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the possible influence of violent protests on the effectiveness of governance in South Africa. South Africa continues to experience huge number of labour as well as popular municipal service delivery protests. The popular social view with ensuing protests has often pointed at governance inefficiency as the cause of violent protests. This paper adopts a slightly different view in its analysis of violent protests and instead looks at possible influence of violence as possible instigator of ineffective governance. The paper is conceptually rooted in reviews – combined with simple regression test of possible relationship between violent protest and governance effectiveness. The authors also present an examination of probable relationship between violent protests and governance effectiveness using observation of macro-economic data trends from the World Bank. The findings reveal a probable weakening in governance effectiveness or its perception thereof as a result of violent protests. Amongst others, violent protests produces a psyche of perpetual victimhood that leads to further violence resulting in less value attached to lives, destruction of economic property, increases pollution, production stoppages for goods and services and in turn depletes government revenue generation and frustrates international investors. We postulate that under condition explained above, government effectiveness in managing public resources becomes weakened and may lead to wastage and inefficiency as the resources and revenues employed in controlling violent protests are unplanned and do not often lead to constructive and sustainable public policy. We suggest that this condition therefore may result in reduction in economic growth which in turn perpetuates the same weaknesses that led to society protests and violence.

Time for National Renewal: Australian adult literacy and numeracy as ‘foundation skills’

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Stephen Black

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Those working in the field of adult literacy and numeracy are currently anticipating changes in the near future as the federal government has flagged the development of a National Foundation Skills Strategy (Australian Government 2010. ‘Foundation skills’ is a term that has recently been suggested as a way of simplifying discussions about literacy and numeracy (Perkins 2009:8, and it has gained traction in various Australian national policy environments (e.g. Gillard 2009, Council of Australian Governments [COAG] Reform Council 2009, Australian Government 2010. Foundation skills appears to encapsulate adult language, literacy and numeracy, and more broadly, it may also include so-called employability skills such as communication and teamwork (Roberts and Wignall 2010:1. In this paper, our main focus is on the adult literacy and numeracy dimensions of what is needed in the policy renewal.

"Kairos" and the Time of Gender Equity Policy in Australian Schooling

Science.gov (United States)

Gannon, Susanne

2016-01-01

Almost 20 years ago the Australian government released "Gender Equity: A Framework for Australian Schools" (1997). It was adopted by all states but almost immediately disappeared from sight after a conservative change of government. This was followed by the dismantling of gender equity units in each state, and a turn to boys' education…

The potential of mobile phones for increasing public participation in local government in South Africa

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Hannah Thinyane

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a critical discussion on the current use of technology and participation in local government. It discusses the rise in popularity of mobile devices, and how they have been used in ICT for development. The paper describes the results of a baseline study undertaken in a city within Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, to empirically investigate how residents are currently using mobile phones and participating with local government around the area of service delivery. The findings illustrate the current state of mobile phone usage and capabilities, and the potential for using the mobile platform to increase participation in local government in South Africa. The paper also can be used to inform and guide project stakeholders on how best to implement m-participation strategies.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Using good and Cooperative Governance to improve Environmental Governance of South African World Heritage sites: A Case Study of the Vredefort Dome

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L Kotzé

2008-08-01

Full Text Available South Africa became a signatory to and ratified the World Heritage Convention, 1972 (WHC in 1997. It thereby voluntarily agreed to identify and conserve world heritage areas of universal value for the benefit of mankind. This article presents a case study of the Vredefort Dome, one of South Africa's World Heritage Sites (WHS and specifically its governance strategies to ensure proper and sustainable governance. Firstly, the issue of fragmentation of the environmental governance regime applicable to WHS is discussed, and in doing so, refers to the various legislative and common law responsibilities and institutional structures related to environmental governance of WHS. Secondly, it briefly discusses the concept of good governance and the concept of cooperative governance as a sub-component of good governance. Finally it comprehensively proposes various strategies to ameliorate the current fragmented and unsustainable environmental governance effort relating to WHS.

Greenhouse governance: An Australian iconoclast`s view

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Brien, B.J. [Brian J O`Brien Associates Pty Ltd, Floreat Park, WA (Australia)

1996-10-01

The `No Regrets` policy was an imported stop-gap measure taken over five years ago when greenhouse fears were large and knowledge small. This paper suggests that this policy by 1995 is actually a `Three Regrets Policy` for Australia. Regret 1 is that El Nino effects which greatly affect Australia are given lower priority than greenhouse. Regret 2 is the deteriorating image and role of Science and Engineering in Australian society. Regret 3 is the growing domination of the energy debate by greenhouse. It is suggested that greenhouse fears should be put into an updated Australian perspective. The issues of sea level rise, and increasing temperatures are updated. It is believed that recognition of the importance of natural climate variation is increasing, this is not yet being used to put greenhouse into popular perspective. The paper concludes with five suggested actions to turn the `Three Regrets for Australia` into one that truly is `no regrets` for Australia. Putting greenhouse in perspective means a vigorous program of investigating and gradually understanding the whole suite of influences on the climate, natural as well as greenhouse. It includes making a competitive advantage out of the climate variabilities in Australia, from more accurate seasonal forecasts. (author). 3 tabs., 4 figs., refs.

Drama in the Australian National Curriculum: Decisions, Tensions and Uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Stinson, Madonna; Saunders, John Nicholas

2016-01-01

In September 2015, the Australian Federal Government endorsed the final version of the Australian Curriculum arts framework a document resulting from nearly seven years of consultation and development. "The Australian Curriculum: The Arts Version 8.0" comprises five subjects: dance, drama, media arts, music and visual arts. This article…

COMPARING THE TREND BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND THE INCREASE IN TAX REVENUE FOR THE COUNTRY’S TAXPAYERS

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, Lerike; Moolman, Anneke Maré

2017-01-01

Adam Smith provides guidance through the four Canons of Taxation to assist government to design a good tax system based on a set of principles. These principles are being applied throughout the world, as well as in South Africa. However, the South African government has been challenged to reduce income inequality and promote growth. This has led to an increase in government spending. Although literature provides information about governmental spending, spending patterns have not been in...

Performance Government: Activating and Regulating the Self-Governing Capacities of Teachers and School Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Peter C.

2015-01-01

This article analyses "performance government" as an emergent form of rule in advanced liberal democracies. It discloses how teachers and school leaders in Australia are being governed by the practices of performance government which centre on the recently established Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and…

An Australian government dental scheme: Doctor-dentist-patient tensions in the triangle.

Science.gov (United States)

Weerakoon, Arosha; Fitzgerald, Lisa; Porter, Suzette

2014-11-30

Autonomy of participants is challenged when legislation to provide a public health service is weakly designed and implemented. Australia's Chronic Disease Dental Scheme was instigated to provide a government subsidy for private dental treatment for people suffering chronic illness impacting their oral health or vice versa. They were allocated AUD$4250 towards comprehensive treatment over 2 years with their eligibility determined by their general medical doctor. A qualitative research study was conducted to explore the experiences from the perspectives of the patient, medical and dental practitioner. One of the research outcomes identified a frequently reported level of discomfort in the patient/doctor/dentist triangle. Doctors and dentists reported feeling forced by patients into positions that compromised their autonomy in obeying the intent (if not the law) of the scheme. Additionally, dentists felt under pressure from doctors and patients to provide subsidized treatment to those eligible. In turn, the patients reported difficulties in gaining access to the scheme and in some cases, experiencing full or partially unmet oral health needs. REASON FOR CONFLICT: Poor inter-professional communication and lack of understanding about profession-unique patient-driven pressures, ultimately contributed to dissonance. Ill-defined eligibility guidelines rendered the doctor's ability to gate-keep challenging. OUTCOME OF CONFLICT: Inefficient gate-keeping led to exponential increase in referrals, resulting in unprecedented cost blow-outs. Ensuing government-led audits caused political tensions and contributed to the media-induced vilification of dentists. In December 2013, government financing of dental treatment through Chronic Disease Dental Scheme was discontinued, leaving many Australians without a viable alternative. There is a need for qualitative research methods to help identify social issues that affect public health policy process. In order to succeed, new health

A review of governance of maternity services at South Tipperary general hospital

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Flory, David

2015-09-01

This review of the governance of maternity services at South Tipperary General Hospital has focussed on the systems and processes for assurance of service quality, risk management and patient safety primarily inside the hospital but also in the Hospital Group structure within which it operates. The effectiveness of the governance arrangements is largely determined by the quality of the leadership and management – both clinical and general – which designs, implements, and oversees those systems and processes and is ultimately responsible and accountable.\\r\

The Dynamics of Corporate Governance in South Africa: Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment and the Enhancement of Good Corporate Governance Principles

OpenAIRE

Esser, Irene-marié; Dekker, Adriette

2008-01-01

This paper illustrates the effect of BBBEE on good corporate governance.\\ud Corporate governance and specifically directors’ duties relating to stakeholder protection are\\ud focused on. Traditionally, directors are expected to manage a company in the best interests of the\\ud shareholders collectively. The question arises as to whether directors should also consider the\\ud interests of other stakeholders, inter alia employees, creditors, the environment and the\\ud community. The South African ...

THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LIMITED SOUTH ASIAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS AFTER FINANCIAL CRISIS

OpenAIRE

Dinh Tran Ngoc Huy

2015-01-01

After the recent global crisis, corporate scandals and bankruptcy in US and Europe, there is some certain evidence on weak corporate governance, risk management and audit system. The 2009 India Code of Corporate Governance also revealed that during the crisis time, there are certain weaknesses although corporate structure is fairly durable. Hence, this paper chooses a different analytical approach and among its aims is to give some systematic opinions. First, it classifies limited South Asian...

Where does the money go? A peregrination of government spending in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raphael T Mpofu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The study looked at the relationship between GDP per capita and health expenditure per capita as well as that of GDP per capita and education expenditure per capita in South Africa between 1994 and 2012. Adolph Wagner’s “Law” proposes that a state will increase its government expenditure relatively to the national income (Henrekson, 1993. Any change in the amount of health expenditure will influence the per capita health expenditure in a country. In this study, using the Human Development Index (HDI as the yardstick for Quality of Life (QoL, the concepts of Standard of Living (SoL and per capita income were examined closely in relation to the role of government in its public expenditure programmes and how these programmes in turn influenced QoL. In particular, the role of government expenditure on health and education seems to signify the commitment of a government in improving the HDI or QoL. Using data on government expenditure in South, the relationships amongst these variables were examined. Since Quality of Life is related to health expenditure per capita, then QoL too should change as government health expenditure increases. The same is expected of an increase in education expenditure. From the study results, it is clear that total tax revenue has increased sharply since 2000 and at a much faster rate than its contribution to GDP but the government deficit has also burgeoned in tandem with government revenue collection as if in tango. The reality is that government expenditure has increased sharply since 1993 but has this been directed at QoL? Public service protests tell a different story. The departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Police seem to be receiving the largest revenue votes, raising the question of whether there is real value added and whether this expenditure is warrantied in terms of SoL.

Who regulates food? Australians' perceptions of responsibility for food safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Julie; Coveney, John; Ward, Paul

2010-01-01

Food scares have diminished trust in public institutions to guarantee food safety. Food governance after the food scare era is concerned with institutional independence and transparency leading to a hybrid of public and private sector management and to mechanisms for consumer involvement in food governance. This paper explores Australian consumers' perceptions of who is, and should be responsible for food safety. Forty-seven participants were interviewed as part of a larger study on trust in the food system. Participants associate food governance with government, industry, and the individual. While few participants can name the national food regulator, there is a strong belief that the government is responsible for regulating the quality and safety of food. Participants are wary of the role of the food industry in food safety, believing that profit motives will undermine effective food regulation. Personal responsibility for food safety practices was also identified. While there are fewer mechanisms for consumer involvement and transparency built into the food governance system, Australian consumers display considerable trust in government to protect food safety. There is little evidence of the politicisation of food, reflecting a level of trust in the Australian food governance system that may arise from a lack of exposure to major food scares.

Integrative Governance of Environmental Water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin: Evolving Challenges and Emerging Pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff-Mattson, Zachary; Lynch, Amanda H

2017-07-01

Integration, a widely promoted response to the multi-scale complexities of social-environmental sustainability, is diversely and sometimes poorly conceptualized. In this paper we explore integrative governance, which we define as an iterative and contextual process for negotiating and advancing the common interest. We ground this definition in a discussion of institutional factors conditioning integrative governance of environmental water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin. The Murray-Darling Basin is an iconic system of social-ecological complexity, evocative of large-scale conservation challenges in other developed arid river basins. Our critical assessment of integrative governance practices in that context emerges through analysis of interviews with policy participants and documents pertaining to environmental water management in the tri-state area of southwestern New South Wales, northwestern Victoria, and the South Australian Riverland. We identify four linked challenges: (i) decision support for developing socially robust environmental water management goals, (ii) resource constraints on adaptive practice, (iii) inter-state differences in participatory decision-making and devolution of authority, and (iv) representative inclusion in decision-making. Our appraisal demonstrates these as pivotal challenges for integrative governance in the common interest. We conclude by offering a perspective on the potential for supporting integrative governance through the bridging capacity of Australia's Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.

The Sleep Patterns and Well-Being of Australian Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Michelle A.; Gradisar, Michael; Lack, Leon C.; Wright, Helen R.; Dohnt, Hayley

2013-01-01

Aim: Adolescent sleep patterns vary between countries, and these differences influence adolescent functioning and well-being. The present study provides data on the sleep and well-being of Australian adolescents. Methods: 385 adolescents aged 13-18 years were recruited from 8 South Australian schools spanning the socio-economic spectrum.…

The Australian synchrotron research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, R.F.

1998-01-01

Full text: The Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP) was established in 1996 under a 5 year grant from the Australian Government, and is managed by ANSTO on behalf of a consortium of Australian universities and research organisations. It has taken over the operation of the Australian National Beamline Facility (ANBF) at the Photon Factory, and has joined two CATS at the Advanced Photon Source: the Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation CAT (SRI-CAT) and the Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources (CARS). The ASRP thus manages a comprehensive range of synchrotron radiation research facilities for Australian science. The ANBF is a general purpose hard X-ray beamline which has been in operation at the Photon Factory since 1993. It currently caters for about 35 Australian research teams per year. The facilities available at the ANBF will be presented and the research program will be summarised. The ASRP facilities at the APS comprise the 5 sectors operated by SRI-CAT, BioCARS and ChemMatCARS. A brief description will be given of the ASRP research programs at the APS, which will considerably broaden the scope of Australian synchrotron science

Owners' insights into private practice dentistry in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, J E; Marchant, T

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate aspects of practice ownership including debt on graduation, the time period between graduation and acquiring practice ownership and small business skills. A mail survey of 400 dentists with practice ownership, in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), addressed demographics, setting up practice, technology and business management. Most respondents were male and nearly half had 20 years of practice ownership. Dentists agreed with the need to be taught small business management skills. Average debt on graduation was AUD$18 000 and the figure was higher for post 1995 graduates. On average, it took five years to acquire some form of practice ownership, but nearly half acquired ownership within three years. Few favoured opening a new practice. Staff were the most frequently nominated contributors to a successful practice, with fees, profit and parking noted least frequently. There was no question that these experienced dentists thought small business skills should be taught to the dental fraternity. Given the significance of staff to a successful practice, dentists may need to learn more about advanced human resource management including professional development and performance management. © 2010 Australian Dental Association.

The Australian-Ness of Curriculum Jigsaws: Where Does Environmental Education Fit?

Science.gov (United States)

Gough, Annette

2011-01-01

This paper reviews Australian Government actions related to environmental education, particularly in the past decade, and examines the actions forthcoming from two national action plans (Environment Australia, 2000 and DEWHA, 2009), the implementation strategy for the Decade of ESD (DEWHA, 2006) and developments related to the Australian…

The Future of Religious Freedom in Australian Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Babie, Paul; Mylius, Ben

2012-01-01

This article explores the place of religion within Australian primary and secondary education. It is divided into three parts. The first examines religion within the Australian legal and constitutional structure. The second considers the accommodation of religion in government (public or state) and nongovernment (private) schools, using the State…

Chlorine-36 measurements in the Murray Basin; preliminary results from the Victorian and South Australian Mallee region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davie, R.F.; Calf, G.E.; Bird, J.R.; Topham, S.; Kellett, J.R.; Evans, W.R.; Fifield, L.K.; Ophel, T.R.

1989-01-01

Chlorine-36 analyses of groundwater samples from 18 wells in the Victorian and South Australian Mallee region of the Murray Basin have been carried out using the technique of accelerator mass spectrometry. Results of these analyses are discussed and presented as evidence for significant recharge from rainfall over much of the study area to the underlying Murray Group limestone aquifer. In addition, results indicate areas where further 36 Cl measurements of Murray Mallee groundwater would provide useful hydrological information on both recharge and discharge mechanisms. 34 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

Testing the Australian Megatsunami Hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Courtney, Claire; Strotz, Luke; Chague-Goff, Catherine; Goff, James; Dominey-Howes, Dale

2010-05-01

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, many countries have been forced to reassess the risk of tsunamis to their coasts. Australia, with relative tectonic stability, has previously been considered at low risk of tsunami inundation. Within written history, only small tsunamis have struck the Australian coast, causing little damage. However, a body of work has arisen that sheds doubt on this apparent low risk, with researchers suggesting that megatsunamis have affected the east Australian coast, in particular southern New South Wales. With proposed run-ups in excess of 100m, recurrence of such megatsunamis in the now densely populated New South Wales coastal region would be catastrophic. The disjunct between historical and geological records demands a thorough re-evaluation of New South Wales sites purported to contain evidence of megatsunamis. In addition, the unique set of diagnostic criteria previously used to identify Australian palaeotsunami deposits is distinctly different to criteria applied to paleotsunamis globally. To address these issues, four coastal lagoonal sites in southern New South Wales were identified for further investigation. In addition to paleotsunami investigation, these sites were selected to provide a geological record of significant events during the Holocene. Site selection was based on small accommodation space and a high preservation potential with back barrier depressions closed to the sea. A suite of diagnostic criteria developed over the past two decades to identify palaeotsunamis have been applied to cores extracted from these sites. Methods used include sedimentary description, grain size analysis, micropalaeontology, geochemistry and a variety of dating techniques such as radiocarbon and lead 210. Preliminary analysis of these results will be presented, with particular focus on sites where there is evidence that could indicate catastrophic saltwater inundation.

AIDS activists take South African government to court.

Science.gov (United States)

Baleta, A

2000-08-26

In South Africa, AIDS activists are taking legal action against their government because of its refusal to provide HIV-positive women with drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Treatment Action Campaign gave the health department an ultimatum to make moves to change policy on treating infected mothers; however, since the department had not responded, the legal process was set to begin. Mark Heywood, the Campaign's spokesman, said that the campaign is pushing for the implementation of programs on a phased basis to provide zidovudine or nevirapine at facilities where it is possible. It is noted that the government has remained steadfast in its opposition to an expansion of the program to all HIV-positive women attending state health services. Although Health Minister Mantho Tshabalala Msimang said that the drug regulatory authority is reviewing results of studies on nevirapine use, with a view to possible registration of the drug, Heywood argues that such an action continues to question the efficacy of antiretrovirals since these tests have already been done.

Project governance: selected South African government experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. van der Walt

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Some form of accountability and power structure binds all organisations. Such structures are typically referred to as the “governance” structure of the organisation. In organisations that have relatively mature project applications and methodologies in place, governance mechanisms are established on more permanent bases. With its focus on performance, results and outcomes, project governance establishes decision-making structures, as well as accountability and responsibility mechanisms in public institutions to oversee projects. As government institutions increasingly place emphasis on project applications for policy implementation and service delivery initiatives, mechanisms or structures should be established to facilitate clear interfaces between the permanent organisation and the temporary project organisation. Such mechanisms or structures should enhance the governance of projects, that is, the strategic alignment of projects, the decentralisation of decision- making powers, rapid resource allocation, and the participation of external stakeholders. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept “project governance”, and to highlight examples of project governance as applied in selected government departments in provincial and national spheres. This would enable the establishment of best practice examples and assist to develop benchmarks for effective project applications for service delivery improvement.

Governance and Trust in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Vidovich, Lesley; Currie, Jan

2011-01-01

The adoption of more corporate models of governance is a contemporary trend in higher education. In the early 2000s, the Australian Government legislated national governance protocols for universities, using the policy lever of financial sanctions. These more corporate-style governance protocols followed similar changes in the UK, consistent with…

Competition and trade in Australian gas markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, Leanne; Mander, Sally

1993-01-01

Although Australia has large gas reserves, the bulk of reserves (about 80 per cent) are located on the North West Shelf, off Western Australia. On the other had, the major demand centres are located in the south east of the country. The relative scarcity of proven gas reserves close to major markets has meant that governments in the state and territories with reserves have a strong vested interest in the future use of the gas. Equally, governments in states and territories that do not have gas reserves are interested in securing future supplies. The scope for increasing competition and trade in Australian gas markets depends on a number of features of the industry. These include: the characteristics of the resource, the structure of supply including the presence of natural monopolies, the nature and extent of upstream or downstream integration of firms and the presence of long term contracts - the characteristics of gas demand, and the regulatory and policy framework. The main purpose in this article is to review the economic factors driving natural gas markets in Australia, highlighting the factors influencing competition and trade. Against this background, some options for reform are also examined. 30 refs., 6 figs

BOOMERANG - the Australian light source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boldeman, J.W.; Garrett, R.L.

1999-01-01

A proposal has been prepared for the installation in Australia of a national high performance synchrotron light facility called Boomerang. The Boomerang proposal had its origin in the establishment of the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP) which was one of the seven Major National Research Facilities announced by the Federal Government in December 1995. The ASRP provides the opportunity and funding for Australian researchers to access international synchrotron facilities, specifically two consortia at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the Argonne National Laboratory, USA and continued interaction with the Photon Factory at the KEK Laboratory in Japan. The ASRP was the successor to the Australian National Beamline Facility project (ANBF) which began in 1991 following the ASTEC inquiry titled 'Small Country - Big Science'. The Federal Government also provided funding for a Feasibility Study to determine the value of establishing an Australian-based synchrotron radiation facility. The Feasibility Study was completed in August 1998 and endorsed by the institutional members of the ASRP and the research community in general. The study concluded that, on the data available in Australia, there was a strong case for the installation of an Australian-based facility. The study considered several options for an Australian-based facility and recommended that these options and the data supporting the general conclusions receive further investigation. A mission was arranged to a select group of overseas laboratories to explore these questions in detail. The review team included a mix of scientific and industrial experience and also represented the interests of the ASRP and an Industrial Synchrotron Consortium based in Victoria. Based on the conclusions of the overseas mission and incorporating the advice of all international specialists in the design and use of synchrotron facilities consulted during the mission, the most cost-effective option was an extended

Forecasting uptake of retrofit packages in office building stock under government incentives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, Andrew; Syme, Mike; McGregor, James; Marquez, Leorey; Seo, Seongwon

2014-01-01

As government and industry plan to reduce energy consumption in building stock, there is a need to forecast the uptake of retrofit packages across building stock over time. To address this challenge a diffusion model was set up and applied to office building stock across New South Wales (NSW) in Australia, accommodating a high spatial resolution and temporal capability for projecting uptake of technology packages characterised by multiple variables. Six retrofit packages were set up for the diffusion model, which ranged from inexpensive services and manuals through to mid-priced packages involving energy efficient T5 lighting and solar hot water through to expensive packages such as chilled beams and Solar PV. We evaluated the model using a base case and two policy programs, representing the Green Building Fund and Environmental Upgrade Agreements. These were recent incentive programs funded by the Australian government to accelerate the uptake of retrofit packages, by providing financial support to upfront expenditures and removing barriers to retrofit. By forecasting uptake of each retrofit package to 2032 under each program, we demonstrate how the model can be a valuable resource in tailoring expensive government programs and increasing their effectiveness. - Highlights: • Diffusion model for uptake of building retrofits. • Case study with New South Wales office buildings. • Forecast uptake of government policy programs

Aboriginal Agency and Marginalisation in Australian Society

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Terry Moore

2014-09-01

Full Text Available It is often argued that while state rhetoric may be inclusionary, policies and practices may be exclusionary. This can imply that the power to include rests only with the state. In some ways, the implication is valid in respect of Aboriginal Australians. For instance, the Australian state has gained control of Aboriginal inclusion via a singular, bounded category and Aboriginal ideal type. However, the implication is also limited in their respect. Aborigines are abject but also agents in their relationship with the wider society. Their politics contributes to the construction of the very category and type that governs them, and presses individuals to resist state inclusionary efforts. Aboriginal political elites police the performance of an Aboriginality dominated by notions of difference and resistance. The combined processes of governance act to deny Aborigines the potential of being both Aboriginal and Australian, being different and belonging. They maintain Aborigines’ marginality.

Culturally appropriate methodology in obtaining a representative sample of South Australian Aboriginal adults for a cross-sectional population health study: challenges and resolutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, Tania; Taylor, Anne Winifred; Grande, Eleonora Dal; Avery, Jodie; Tucker, Graeme; Morey, Kim

2015-05-19

The considerably lower average life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, compared with non-Aboriginal and non-Torres Strait Islander Australians, has been widely reported. Prevalence data for chronic disease and health risk factors are needed to provide evidence based estimates for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders population health planning. Representative surveys for these populations are difficult due to complex methodology. The focus of this paper is to describe in detail the methodological challenges and resolutions of a representative South Australian Aboriginal population-based health survey. Using a stratified multi-stage sampling methodology based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census with culturally appropriate and epidemiological rigorous methods, 11,428 randomly selected dwellings were approached from a total of 209 census collection districts. All persons eligible for the survey identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and were selected from dwellings identified as having one or more Aboriginal person(s) living there at the time of the survey. Overall, the 399 interviews from an eligible sample of 691 SA Aboriginal adults yielded a response rate of 57.7%. These face-to-face interviews were conducted by ten interviewers retained from a total of 27 trained Aboriginal interviewers. Challenges were found in three main areas: identification and recruitment of participants; interviewer recruitment and retainment; and using appropriate engagement with communities. These challenges were resolved, or at least mainly overcome, by following local protocols with communities and their representatives, and reaching agreement on the process of research for Aboriginal people. Obtaining a representative sample of Aboriginal participants in a culturally appropriate way was methodologically challenging and required high levels of commitment and resources. Adhering to these principles has resulted in a

Australian mineral industry annual review for 1984

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1987-01-01

This volume of the Australian Mineral Industry Annual Review records development and performance of the Australian mineral industry during the calendar year 1984. It reports production, consumption, treatment, trade, prices, new developments, exploration, and resources for mineral commodities including fuels, and summarises equivalent developments abroad. Part 1. 'general review' after briefly surveying the world mineral industry, summarises developments in the Australian mineral industry as a whole, under the headings: the industry in the national economy, prices, exploration expenditure, investment, income tax, royalties, structural data, wages and salaries, industrial disputes, and government assistance, legislation, and controls. Part 2. 'commodity review' covers individual mineral commodity groups, from abrasives to zirconium. Part 3, 'mining census', tabulates statistics extracted from the mining census, together with some mineral processing statistics from the manufacturing census. Part 4 tabulates quantity and value data on mineral output provided by state departments of mines and their equivalents. Listed in appendices are: principal mineral producers; ore buyers and mineral dealers; government mining services; analytical laboratories; state mines departments and equivalents; industry, professional and development organisations and associations, etc; summary of mineral royalties payable in the states and territories; and summary of income tax provisions and federal government levies.

Changes in wine consumption are influenced most by health: results from a population survey of South Australians in 2013

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Stockley CS

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Creina S Stockley,1 Anne W Taylor,2 Alicia Montgomerie,2 Eleonora Dal Grande2 1The Australian Wine Research Institute, 2Population Research & Outcome Studies, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia Aims: Individuals change their wine consumption over their life course, and mean volume typically declines with increasing age. Research on the reasons individuals change their consumption has primarily focused on youth/the young, but not on older adults. This study’s aim was to ascertain changes in wine consumption over a 12-month period in Australians at different ages and what influenced these changes.Methods: As part of the Spring 2013 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, persons (n=2,908 aged 15 years and over who had most recently had a birthday in the selected household were interviewed in their home by trained interviewers. Of these, 48.9% were males and their mean age was 46.3 (standard deviation 18.9 years.Results: Regular, light–moderate wine consumers were generally stable in the amount of wine they drank over a 12 month period, particularly those aged 55 years and older. They generally cited health (48.0% as a reason for decreasing their wine consumption. Those who usually consumed three to four standard drinks on days they drank wine were also more likely to give health (54.3% as a reason for decreasing their consumption, as were heavy wine consumers (57.7%. The 25- to 34-year age-group was more likely to have decreased (36% vs 26% their wine consumption in the last 12 months. The 15- to 24-year age-group was most likely to have increased (28% vs 10% their wine consumption in the last 12 months. Health was most cited as the reason for decreasing this consumption, while family and friends were most cited as the reason for increasing this consumption.Conclusion: In this representative population of South Australians, the wine consumption of previously identified at-risk groups for both short- and

Financial Information 2016: Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics

Science.gov (United States)

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2017

2017-01-01

This publication provides financial information on the government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system in Australia. Reporting includes VET funds transacted through government accounts of the Australian and state and territory government departments and their controlled training organisation entities such as TAFE institutes and…

A Qualitative Analysis of Facilities Maintenance--A School Governance Function in South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Xaba, M. I.

2012-01-01

I analysed school facilities maintenance, a school governance function in South Africa. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 principals and three deputy principals as coordinators of this function at their schools. The interviews were purposively and conveniently selected to gather data regarding school facilities maintenance and gain…

Declining rates of sterilization procedures in Western Australian women from 1990 to 2008: the relationship with age, hospital type, and government policy changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jama-Alol, Khadra A; Bremner, Alexandra P; Stewart, Louise M; Kemp-Casey, Anna; Malacova, Eva; Moorin, Rachael; Shirangi, Adeleh; Preen, David B

2016-09-01

To describe trends in age-specific incidence rates of female sterilization (FS) procedures in Western Australia and to evaluate the effects of the introduction of government-subsidized contraceptive methods and the implementation of the Australian government's baby bonus policy on FS rates. Population-based retrospective descriptive study. Not applicable. All women ages 15-49 undergoing an FS procedure during the period January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2008 (n = 47,360 procedures). Records from statutory statewide data collections of hospitals separations and births were extracted and linked. Trends in FS procedures and the influence on these trends of the introduction of government policies: subsidization of long-acting reversible contraceptives (Implanon and Mirena) and the Australian baby bonus initiative. The annual incidence rate of FS procedures declined from 756.9 per 100,000 women in 1990 to 155.2 per 100,000 women in 2008. Compared with the period 1990-1994, women ages 30-39 years were 47% less likely (rate ratio [RR] = 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.72) to undergo sterilization during the period 2005-2008. Adjusting for overall trend, there were significant decreases in FS rates after government subsidization of Implanon (RR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.97) and Mirena (RR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.91) and the introduction of the baby bonus (RR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.61-0.81). Rates of female sterilization procedures in Western Australia have declined substantially across all age groups in the last two decades. Women's decisions to undergo sterilization procedures may be influenced by government interventions that increase access to long-term reversible contraceptives or encourage childbirth. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Policy-Making for Australian Schooling: The New Corporate Federalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Lingard, Bob

1991-01-01

The corporate federalism concept illustrates the way a national approach to policy development for Australian schooling has been utilized by the Hawke Labor government. Negotiated consensus at the Australian Education Council has been used to arrive at these policies and to circumvent politically the constitutional and financial realities of…

Public Integrity and Performance of Governance. A Comparative Study for South-Eastern Europe

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Lucica Matei

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The studies concerning the impact of corruption on the effectiveness of governance are numerous, valorising profound approaches, based on criteria and standards related to good governance, organizational behaviour.The concepts and mechanisms specific for econometrics and statistics provide the quantitative support for qualitative analyses, substantiating public policies, in view to assure effectiveness in performance measurement.For all South-Eastern European countries, the level of development and social organization determines specific ethical behaviours. In this context, the current paper aims a comparative economic and social evaluation of the correlations between corruption, performance and economic freedom in South-Eastern European countries, including Romania.The working hypotheses turn into consideration the following issues:- corruption holds national specific character and the statistic, econometric or sociologic analyses reveal that it is stable during the time;- an effective governance leads to increasing the citizens’ welfare;- if a country is poor and the economic freedom is reduced than the bureaucratic and political system tends to be more corrupted;- the perspective of accession into the EU has led to the perception concerning the reduction of the corruption level.The above hypotheses will be completed and we shall achieve comparative analyses, relevant for the group of South-Eastern European countries. The above quantitative analyses will use both own results of the researches carried out by the authors and public results of World Bank, Transparency International and Heritage Foundation, as well as results of authorities responsible for national statistics. The comparative research is achieved on a 10 years period, comprising also the moment of accession into the European Union for some states.

Australian Film Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Breen, Myles P.

Although Australia had a vigorous film industry in the silent film era, it was stifled in the 1930s when United States and British interests bought up the Australian distribution channels and closed down the indigenous industry. However, the industry and film study have undergone a renaissance since the advent of the Labor government in 1972,…

The significance of emotional intelligence and leadership styles of senior leaders in the South African government

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N. M. G. Mfikwe

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A significant body of research over the past two decades found the emotional intelligence abilities to be associated with a range of important work-related behaviours. The aim of this study was to establish the gender differences and significance of emotional intelligence and leadership styles of senior leaders in the South African government. For this purpose, a sample of 85 senior managers were selected from various government departments in South Africa. The results of the study show that emotional intelligence and leadership styles do relate to one another. However, there were no significant differences in leadership styles and emotional intelligence between male and female respondents. This is due to the fact that the core management criteria and standards used to evaluate the performance of senior managers in government, help build a common sense of good management practice in the public service. Recommendations are made for future applications.

Widening and Expanding Participation in Australian Higher Education: In the Absence of Sociological Imagination

Science.gov (United States)

Gale, Trevor

2015-01-01

Social inclusion in Australian higher education was high on the agenda of the recent Rudd/Gillard Australian Government. This paper offers an assessment of that agenda, particularly the extent to which it worked in favour of under-represented groups. It argues that the Government's widening and expansion policies and its equity and aspiration…

Short sleep duration and obesity among Australian children

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Gill Tiffany K

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is limited information on sleep duration and obesity among Australian children. The objective of the study is to cross-sectionally examine the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in Australian children aged 5 to 15 years. Methods Data were collected using the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System between January 2004 and December 2008. Each month a representative random sample of South Australians are selected from the Electronic White Pages with interviews conducted using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI. Within each household, the person who was last to have a birthday was selected for interview. Parents reported the number of hours their children slept each day. Obesity was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF definition based on BMI calculated from reported body weight and height. Results Overall, parents of 3495 children aged 5-15 years (mean 10.7 years, 50.3% boys were interviewed. The prevalence of obesity was 7.7% (8.9% in boys, 6.6% in girls. In multivariate analysis after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, intake of fruit and vegetables, physical activity and inactivity, the odds ratio (OR for obesity comparing sleeping Conclusion Short sleep duration is associated with increased obesity in children especially among younger age groups and boys.

The Power of Politic and Lobbying Parties in the Australian Accounting Regulation Reform Program

OpenAIRE

Suwaldiman, Suwaldiman

2004-01-01

This paper argues that Australian accounting regulations seem to be close to the government or political approach in its setting process. CLERP (Corporate Law Economic Reform Program) proposed by government can be viewed as changes made by Federal Government in the structure of setting accounting standards that show a substantial shift in power from the two professional accounting bodies; ICAA (The Institute of Certified Accountants in Australia) and ASCPA (Australian Society of Certified Pra...

The Power Of Politic and Lobbying Parties in the Australian Accounting Regulation Reform Program

OpenAIRE

Suwaldiman, Suwaldiman

2009-01-01

This paper argues that Australian accounting regulations seem to be close to the government or political approach in its setting process. CLERP (Corporate Law Economic Reform Program) proposed by government can be viewed as changes made by Federal Government in the structure of setting accounting standards that show a substantial shift in power from the two professional accounting bodies; ICAA (The Institute of Certified Accountants in Australia) and ASCPA (Australian Society of Certified Pra...

Democracy and Majority Rule in South Africa: Implications for Good Governance

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Samuel Augustine Umezurike

2017-07-01

Full Text Available South Africa is a leading example of democracy in Africa though many argue that it has lost its way in meaningful aspects ranging from practice of its majority rule, social cohesion, and neoliberalisation of its political economy and international diplomacy. South Africa could fairly be viewed as an emerging middle power but many of its actions have belied this by allowing certain analysts to consider it as inconsistent, confusing, and even sinister. Some of the core problematic areas of South African democracy include poverty, unemployment, inequality, high level of HIV/AIDS, corruption, fast decaying educational system, electricity (load shedding, fast loss of rand value in the international market and rampant strike actions, especially in the mining industry. However, this paper depends on the documentary method of research to examine the drama surrounding the security upgrade of the President’s home at Nkandla. The findings show that in a democratic society like South Africa, majority rule may sometimes be a limitation of democratic practices. In order to avert the dangers majority rule may pose to the other principles of democracy, the principles of values, such as separation of power among the three levels of government and rule of law, must be respected.

Democracy and Majority Rule in South Africa: Implications for Good Governance

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Samuel Umezurike

2016-12-01

Full Text Available South Africa is a leading example of democracy in Africa albeit many argue that it has lost meaningful direction in aspects which range from its practice of majority rule, social cohesion, and neoliberalization of its political economy and international diplomacy. South Africa could fairly well be viewed as an emerging middle power but many of its actions have belied this thus allowing certain analysts to consider it as inconsistent, confusing, and even sinister. Some of the core problematic areas of South African democracy include poverty, unemployment, inequality, high level of HIV/AIDS, corruption, fast decaying educational system, electricity (load shedding, fast loss of rand value in the international market and rampant strike actions, especially in the mining industry. However, this paper depends on the documentary method of research to examine the drama surrounding the security upgrade of the President’s home at Nkandla. The findings show that in a democratic society like South Africa, majority rule may sometimes be a limitation of democratic practices. In order to avert the challenges which majority rule may pose to the other principles of democracy, the principles of values, such as separation of power among the three levels of government and rule of law, must be respected.

Potential for Australian involvement in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connor, D. J.; Collins, G. A.; Hole, M. J.

2006-01-01

Full text: Full text: Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, offers a solution to the world's long-term energy needs: providing large scale energy production with zero greenhouse gas emissions, short-lived radio-active waste compared to conventional nuclear fission cycles, and a virtually limitless supply of fuel. Almost three decades of fusion research has produced spectacular progress. Present-day experiments have a power gain ratio of approximately 1 (ratio of power out to power in), with a power output in the 10's of megawatts. The world's next major fusion experiment, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), will be a pre-prototype power plant. Since announcement of the ITER site in June 2005, the ITER project, has gained momentum and political support. Despite Australia's foundation role in the field of fusion science, through the pioneering work of Sir Mark Oliphant, and significant contributions to the international fusion program over the succeeding years, Australia is not involved in the ITER project. In this talk, the activities of a recently formed consortium of scientists and engineers, the Australian ITER Forum will be outlined. The Forum is drawn from five Universities, ANSTO (the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) and AINSE (the Australian Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering), and seeks to promote fusion energy in the Australian community and negotiate a role for Australia in the ITER project. As part of this activity, the Australian government recently funded a workshop that discussed the ways and means of engaging Australia in ITER. The workshop brought the research, industrial, government and general public communities, together with the ITER partners, and forged an opportunity for ITER engagement; with scientific, industrial, and energy security rewards for Australia. We will report on the emerging scope for Australian involvement

Effective Information Technology Governance Mechanisms: An Australian Study

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Syaiful Ali

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Growing importance of information technology (IT, as a strategic factor for organizations in achieving their objectives, have raised the concern of organizations in establishing and implementing effective IT governance. This study seeks to empirically examine the individual IT governance mechanisms that influence the overall effectiveness of IT governance. The data were obtained by using web based survey from 176 members of ISACA (Information Systems and Audit Control Association Australia. This study examines the influences of six proposed IT governance mechanisms on the overall effectiveness of IT governance. Using Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression techniques, the current study finds significant positive relationships between the overall level of effective IT governance and the following four IT governance mechanisms: the existence of ethics/ culture of compliance in IT, corporate communication systems, an IT strategy committee, and the involvement of senior management in IT.

Is the recent south-east Australian drought a sign of climate change?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coughlan, Michael; Braganza, Karl; Collins, Dean; Jones, David

2007-01-01

Full text: Full text: The national climate archive reveals that Australia has warmed by almost 1 0 C since the middle of the 20th century, while rainfall has decreased in the east and far south-west and increased substantially in the north-west (Jones etal. 2006). The warming (Karoly and Braganza 2005) and the rainfall decline in the far south-west (Timbal er al. 2006) have been partly attributed to human activities. However, causes for rainfall changes elsewhere in Australia are yet to be confidently established. Severe and protracted rainfall downturns have been recorded in far south-west Australia, Victoria, southern New South Wales and parts of central Queensland since the mid-1990s. The resulting pattern of decadal rainfall anomalies show some consistencies with climate change projections that generally show drying across southern Australia (CSIRO 2001). However, there are some discrepancies and it is premature to attribute the decadal rainfall decline in south-east Australia to climate change. Most of eastern Australia experienced severe rainfall deficits during the 2002/03 and 2006/07 El Nino events, with poor rainfall in between. There is no evidence linking these El Nino events to climate change. In terms of rainfall alone, the most recent multi-year drought is not unlike droughts of the early 1900s and around 1940. Thus the rainfall downturns over eastern Australia in recent years could simply mark a recurrence of similar protracted downturns observed during the first half of the 20th century. Nevertheless, climate change is likely to have contributed to the severity of recent droughts. Temperatures have been exceptionally high over most parts of Australia during the past five years, exacerbating the water stress experienced during the last two El Nino droughts. This combination of low rainfall and record high temperatures is without historical precedent in most regions. Recent prolonged bushfire seasons may be a further consequence. Regardless of whether

The Regulation of Acid Mine Drainage in South Africa: Law and Governance Perspectives

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Loretta Feris

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD is arguably one of the most serious environmental concerns in South Africa. AMD is a legacy left behind by abandoned, derelict and defunct mines, and is a continuing by-product of existing mining activities. In addition to its environmental impacts, AMD will also impact on all the parameters of sustainability, including ecological, social and economic concerns. In particular, AMD is set to affect infrastructure, displace people and affect their livelihoods, influence economic activity, impact on the resource extraction industry, and affect South Africa's policies and actions in relation to climate change and its efforts to move towards a low carbon economy; and it will test the efficiency of regulatory interventions emanating from both the private and the public sector to the extreme. Given these pervasive challenges, in this article we provide a survey of the AMD problem in South Africa through the law and governance lens. We commence by highlighting the various issues and challenges that result from AMD in the environmental context on the one hand, and the law and governance context on the other hand. We then describe the many provisions of the regulatory framework that we believe would be instrumental in responding to the threat. We conclude the article with brief remarks on what we believe are important considerations in the future regulation of AMD.

Changing approaches to financing and financial management in the South African local government sector

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D Sing

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Sections 152 and 153 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996 have given local government a developmental mandate. Local government has a constitutional obligation to participate in national and provincial development programmes. Local government should become a powerful development catalyst in collaboration with other spheres of government, the non-governmental sector and the local citizenry. It has to address social, economic and infrastructural backlogs and inequalities in a stable and sustainable manner to ensure developmental outcomes are reached. Different financing and financial management policies, strategies, structures, processes and procedures have to be instituted with a view to transformation and innovation. Constant and consistent monitoring, analysis and evaluation of these policies, strategies structures, processes and procedures should ensure these constitutional imperatives.

Zupta's Next Nightmare: The South African Local Government Elections of 3 August 2016

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Ulf Engel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available On 3 August 2016 South Africa held its fifth local government elections (LGE since the end of Apartheid in 1994. Against a backdrop of increasing political frustration with the ruling party’s poor performance and continued debates about corruption and cronyism in the highest government circles, the African National Congress (ANC maintained its dominant position but lost 8 per cent of the aggregate vote (53.91 per cent. The Democratic Alliance (DA gained some 3 per cent (26.89 per cent of the vote, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF, first-time LGE campaigners, garnered 8.02 per cent. Importantly, the ANC lost control of three of the seven big metropolitan municipalities it had previously held. Since there was no clear-cut majority in four of the eight metros, coalition politics and the art of compromise will become a major feature of South African politics in the coming years. The elections were highly competitive and considered free and fair. At 57.97 per cent, voter turnout was slightly higher than in 2011.

Fair and just or just fair? Examining models of government--not-for-profit engagement under the Australian Social Inclusion Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Gemma; Riley, Therese

2012-08-01

This paper explores the interrelationship between two contemporary policy debates: one focused on the social determinants of health and the other on social (inclusion) policy within contemporary welfare regimes. In both debates, academics and policy makers alike are grappling with the balance between universal and targeted policy initiatives and the role of local 'delivery' organizations in promoting health and social equality. In this paper, we discuss these debates in the context of a recent social policy initiative in Australia: the Social Inclusion Agenda. We examine two proposed models of engagement between the government and the not-for-profit welfare sector for the delivery of social services. We conclude that the two models of engagement currently under consideration by the Australian government have substantially different outcomes for the health of disadvantaged communities and the creation of a more socially inclusive Australia.

Survey of Australians using cannabis for medical purposes

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Dillon Paul

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The New South Wales State Government recently proposed a trial of the medical use of cannabis. Australians who currently use cannabis medicinally do so illegally and without assurances of quality control. Given the dearth of local information on this issue, this study explored the experiences of medical cannabis users. Methods Australian adults who had used cannabis for medical purposes were recruited using media stories. A total of 147 respondents were screened by phone and anonymous questionnaires were mailed, to be returned by postage paid envelope. Results Data were available for 128 participants. Long term and regular medical cannabis use was frequently reported for multiple medical conditions including chronic pain (57%, depression (56%, arthritis (35%, persistent nausea (27% and weight loss (26%. Cannabis was perceived to provide "great relief" overall (86%, and substantial relief of specific symptoms such as pain, nausea and insomnia. It was also typically perceived as superior to other medications in terms of undesirable effects, and the extent of relief provided. However, nearly one half (41% experienced conditions or symptoms that were not helped by its use. The most prevalent concerns related to its illegality. Participants reported strong support for their use from clinicians and family. There was almost universal interest (89% in participating in a clinical trial of medical cannabis, and strong support (79% for investigating alternative delivery methods. Conclusion Australian medical cannabis users are risking legal ramifications, but consistent with users elsewhere, claim moderate to substantial benefits from its use in the management of their medical condition. In addition to strong public support, medical cannabis users show strong interest in clinical cannabis research, including the investigation of alternative delivery methods.

Multiculturalism in South Korea: Examining Government Aspirations through the Second Basic Plan for Immigration

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazarian, Peter G.

2018-01-01

South Korea (henceforth, Korea) has grown into a significant regional destination in global migration networks via central government policies aimed at reaping the benefits of transnational human resources. However, the meaning and vision for multiculturalism remain fluid and unclear. This study applies Banks' multicultural paradigms as a…

Australian governments' spending on preventing and responding to drug abuse should target the main sources of drug-related harm and the most cost-effective interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, David

2011-01-01

A notable feature of Australian drug policy is the limited public and professional attention given to the financial costs of drug abuse and to the levels and patterns of government expenditures incurred in preventing and responding to this. Since 1991, Collins and Lapsley have published scholarly reports documenting the social costs of drug abuse in Australia and their reports also contain estimates of governments' drug budgets: revenue and expenditures. They show that, in 2004-2005, Australian governments expended at least $5288 million on drug abuse, with 50% of the expenditure directed to preventing and dealing with alcohol-related problems, 45% to illicit drugs and just 5% to tobacco. Some 60% of the expenditure was directed at drug crime and 37% at health interventions. This pattern of resource allocation does not adequately reflect an evidence-informed policy orientation in that it largely fails to focus on the drug types that are the sources of the most harm (tobacco and alcohol rather than illicit drugs), and the sectors for which we have the strongest evidence of the cost-effectiveness of the available interventions (treatment and harm reduction rather than legislation and law enforcement). The 2010-2014 phase of Australia's National Drug Strategy should include incremental changes to the resource allocation mix, and not simply maintain the historical resource allocation formulae. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Governance Dynamics and the Application of the Multilevel Governance Approach in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the European Neighbourhood Countries: The Case of the ENPI South Region

Science.gov (United States)

Galvin Arribas, J. Manuel

2016-01-01

This article analyses moves towards good multilevel governance approaches in Vocational Education and Training (VET) as an effective way to improve VET policy making in transition and developing countries, focusing on the Southern Neighbourhood of the EU (ENPI South). The centralised approaches in public administration and to VET governance still…

Heart failure among Indigenous Australians: a systematic review

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Woods John A

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases contribute substantially to the poor health and reduced life expectancy of Indigenous Australians. Heart failure is a common, disabling, progressive and costly complication of these disorders. The epidemiology of heart failure and the adequacy of relevant health service provision in Indigenous Australians are not well delineated. Methods A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cinahl Plus, Informit and Google Scholar was undertaken in April 2012 for peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to the topic of heart failure in Indigenous Australians. Additionally, a website search was done to identify other pertinent publications, particularly government reports. Results There was a paucity of relevant peer-reviewed research, and government reports dominated the results. Ten journal articles, 1 published conference abstract and 10 reports were eligible for inclusion. Indigenous Australians reportedly have higher morbidity and mortality from heart failure than their non-Indigenous counterparts (age-standardised prevalence ratio 1.7; age-standardised hospital separation ratio ≥3; crude per capita hospital expenditure ratio 1.58; age-adjusted mortality ratio >2. Despite the evident disproportionate burden of heart failure in Indigenous Australians, the accuracy of estimation from administrative data is limited by poor indigenous identification, inadequate case ascertainment and exclusion of younger subjects from mortality statistics. A recent journal article specifically documented a high prevalence of heart failure in Central Australian Aboriginal adults (5.3%, noting frequent undiagnosed disease. One study examined barriers to health service provision for Indigenous Australians in the context of heart failure. Conclusions Despite the shortcomings of available published data, it is clear that Indigenous Australians have an excess burden of heart failure. Emerging data

Alcohol industry and governmental revenue from young Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ian W; Si, Jiawei

2016-11-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to estimate the revenues collected by government and industry from alcohol consumption by young Australians in 2010. Methods Statistical analyses were performed on data from the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2010 and alcohol data collected from an online retailer to calculate the proportion, frequency, quantity and revenues from alcohol consumption by young Australians. Results One-third of adolescents (12-17 years old) and 85% of young adults (18-25 years old) consume alcohol. More than half the adolescents' alcohol consumption is from ready-to-drink spirits. Revenue generated from alcohol consumption by 12-25 year olds is estimated at $4.8 billion in 2010 (2014 Australian dollars): $2.8 billion to industry (sales) and $2.0 billion to government (taxes). Conclusions Alcohol consumption by young Australians is prevalent, and young Australian drinkers consume alcohol in substantial amounts. The industry and taxation revenue from young drinkers is also considerable. It would be in the public interest to divert some of this revenue towards health initiatives to reduce drinking by young people, especially given the high societal costs of alcohol consumption. What is known about the topic? Australian adolescents aged 12-17 years consume substantial amounts of alcohol, and substantial amounts of revenue are generated from alcohol sales to them. What does this paper add? This paper provides recent estimates of alcohol consumption and revenue generated by Australian adolescents, and extends estimates to young adults aged 18-25 years. What are the implications for practitioners? A substantial proportion of Australian young people consume alcohol. The sales and taxation revenue generated from young people's drinking is substantial at A$4.8 billion in 2010 and is higher in real terms than estimates from previous studies. Some of the alcohol taxation revenue could be diverted to health promotion and education for

Dare nuclear energy with the Australian Nuclear Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2016-01-01

Australian authorities have been traditionally opposed to nuclear energy. The interdiction to build nuclear power plants in the Australian states without the approval of the federal authority was even officially written in the environment code in 1999. Today coal provides 75% of the electricity needs of Australia. Because of climate warming, things are changing, the Australian government is now considering the possibility of using nuclear energy and a site located in southern Australian has been selected for the disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes. In this context the Australian Nuclear Association (ANA) is developing an ambitious program for the promotion of all the applications of nuclear energy through the organisation of conferences and meetings with various experts of nuclear industry. The aim is to make the public aware of the assets of nuclear energy. (A.C.)

Ascendancy of agricultural biotechnology in the Australian political mainstream coexists with technology criticism by a vocal-minority

OpenAIRE

Tribe, David

2014-01-01

Australia is a federation of States. This political structure necessitates collaborative arrangements between Australian governments to harmonize national regulation of gene technology and food standards. Extensive political negotiation among institutions of federal government has managed regulation of GM crops and food. Well-developed human resources in Australian government provided numerous policy documents facilitating a transparent political process. Workable legislation has been devised...

Life Satisfaction of Young Australians: Relationships between Further Education, Training and Employment and General and Career Satisfaction. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report 43

Science.gov (United States)

Hillman, Kylie; McMillan, Julie

2005-01-01

Prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) under an agreement with the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), this report has three broad aims: (1) To describe the relationship between life satisfaction and participation in a range of post-school education, training and labour market…

1980 Australian coal conference. Conference papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

Papers were presented under the following headings: supply and demand for coal; government policies - coal development; mining finance and taxation; Australian coal mining practices; research and development; infrastructure and transportation; legislation and safe working practices; and industrial relations.

Evolution of water recycling in Australian cities since 2003.

Science.gov (United States)

Radcliffe, J C

2010-01-01

The prolonged Australian drought which commenced in 2002, and the agreement between Australia's Commonwealth and States/Territories governments to progress water reform through the National Water Initiative, has resulted in many new recycling projects in Australia's capital cities. Dual reticulation systems are being advanced in new subdivision developments in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Brisbane has installed three large Advanced Water Treatment Plants that are designed to send indirect potable recycled water to the Wivenhoe Dam which is Brisbane's principal water reservoir. Numerous water recycling projects are serving industry and agriculture. Experimental managed aquifer recharge is being undertaken with wetland-treated stormwater in Adelaide and reverse osmosis treated wastewater in Perth. New National Water Quality Management Strategy recycled water guidelines have been developed for managing environmental risks, for augmentation of drinking water supplies, for managed aquifer recharge and for stormwater harvesting and reuse. Many recent investments are part-supported through Commonwealth government grants. Desalination plants are being established in Melbourne and Adelaide and a second one in Perth in addition to the newly-operational plants in Perth, South-East Queensland and Sydney. Despite there being numerous examples of unplanned indirect potable recycling, most governments remain reluctant about moving towards planned potable recycling. There is evidence of some policy bans still being maintained by governments but the National Water Commission continues to reinforce the necessity of an even-handed objective consideration of all water supply options.

A Community Standard: Equivalency of Healthcare in Australian Immigration Detention.

Science.gov (United States)

Essex, Ryan

2017-08-01

The Australian government has long maintained that the standard of healthcare provided in its immigration detention centres is broadly comparable with health services available within the Australian community. Drawing on the literature from prison healthcare, this article examines (1) whether the principle of equivalency is being applied in Australian immigration detention and (2) whether this standard of care is achievable given Australia's current policies. This article argues that the principle of equivalency is not being applied and that this standard of health and healthcare will remain unachievable in Australian immigration detention without significant reform. Alternate approaches to addressing the well documented issues related to health and healthcare in Australian immigration detention are discussed.

Research governance: new hope for ethics committees?

Science.gov (United States)

Frew, Deborah; Martlew, Ainsley

2007-01-01

For many years there has been discussion regarding the problems confronting our current ethics review system. Commentators have identified numerous issues that threaten the sustainability of Australia's voluntary HREC system. Various ad hoc solutions to these problems have been posed, but have not resulted in any significant advances. However, in recent years, discourse regarding research governance has become prominent in the Australian research environment. The application of research governance principles is gaining momentum amongst the regulators of research, including research institutions and their governing bureaucracies. We argue that this is potentially the most significant development in several years towards creating a sustainable HREC system in Australia. The recognition by research institutions and their governing bureaucracies that the responsibility for overall research governance lies with them, rather than solely with their HRECs, is leading to a range of initiatives which should significantly lessen the burden on Australian ethics committees, and improve their ability to undertake their core task of reviewing the ethical aspects of research proposals.

Neglected Australian Arboviruses and Undifferentiated Febrile Illness: Addressing Public Health Challenges Arising From the 'Developing Northern Australia' Government Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyawali, Narayan; Bradbury, Richard S; Aaskov, John G; Taylor-Robinson, Andrew W

2017-01-01

The Australian Government is currently promoting the development of Northern Australia, with an associated increase in the local population. Consequent to this is the public health threat posed by heightened human exposure to many previously neglected arboviruses that are indigenous to the region. This initiative to support economic activity in the tropical north of the continent is leading to the accelerated expansion of an infection-naïve human population into hitherto un-encountered ecosystems inhabited by reservoir animals and vectors for these arboviruses. Combined with an apparent rise in the number and impact of dramatic climate events, such as tropical cyclones and floods caused by torrential monsoonal rainfall, this heightens the potential for viral transmission to humans. More than 75 arboviruses have been identified in Australia, some of which are associated with human disease but for which routine tests are not available to diagnose infection. Here, we describe briefly the neglected Australian arboviruses that are most likely to emerge as significant agents of human disease in the coming decades. We also advocate the establishment of a thorough surveillance and diagnostic protocol, including developing new pan-viral rapid tests for primary care use to assist in the early diagnosis and correct treatment of affected patients. We propose that the implementation of these activities will enhance our understanding of the geographical range, prevalence, identification and control of neglected Australian arboviruses. This would minimise and limit the possibility of large-scale outbreaks with these agents as population and economic growth expands further into Australia's tropical north.

Evaluating the effectiveness of an Australian obesity mass-media campaign: how did the 'Measure-Up' campaign measure up in New South Wales?

Science.gov (United States)

King, E L; Grunseit, A C; O'Hara, B J; Bauman, A E

2013-12-01

In 2008, the Australian Government launched a mass-media campaign 'Measure-Up' to reduce lifestyle-related chronic disease risk. Innovative campaign messages linked waist circumference and chronic disease risk. Communication channels for the campaign included television, press, radio and outdoor advertising and local community activities. This analysis examines the impact of the campaign in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cross-sectional telephone surveys (n = 1006 adults pre- and post-campaign) covered self-reported diet and physical activity, campaign awareness, knowledge about waist circumference, personal relevance of the message, perceived confidence to make lifestyle changes and waist-measuring behaviours. The campaign achieved high unprompted (38%) and prompted (89%) awareness. From pre- to post-campaign, knowledge and personal relevance of the link between waist circumference and chronic disease and waist measuring behaviour increased, although there were no significant changes in reported fruit and vegetable intake nor in physical activity. Knowledge of the correct waist measurement threshold for chronic disease risk increased over 5-fold, adjusted for demographic characteristics. 'Measure-Up' was successful at communicating the new campaign messages. Continued long-term investment in campaigns such as 'Measure-Up', supplemented with community-based health promotion, may contribute to population risk factor understanding and behaviour change to reduce chronic disease.

Networking strategies of the microscopy community for improved utilization of advanced instruments: (1) The Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringer, S.P.; Apperley, M.H.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the strategy underpinning the formation and operation of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF). AMMRF is a formal collaboration that links eight Australian Universities together to create a user-focused national capability in microscopy and microanalysis. The AMMRF flagship capabilities include: Cameca IMS-1280 and NanoSIMS-50 ion microprobes (University of Western Australia); High-throughput, high-resolution cryoTEM (University of Queensland); Atom Probe Microscopy (University of Sydney); High-resolution Focussed Ion-Beam and SEM (Universities of Adelaide and NSW); High-resolution SEM microanalysis facility (University of New South Wales); and PHI TRIFT V nanoToF ToF-SIMS (University of South Australia). Secondly, a network of peer support and expert training has been established amongst facility professional support staff. The governance and funding of the organisation are described and the advantages and achievements of a nationally coordinated facility for microscopy and microanalysis are set out. Selected data are presented that benchmark the performance of the facility, describe the economic impact and demonstrate the impact on the quality of research outcomes as a result of operating national collaborative research infrastructure for microscopy and microanalysis

Moral autonomy in Australian legislation and military doctrine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Adams

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Australian legislation and military doctrine stipulate that soldiers ‘subjugate their will’ to government, and fight in any war the government declares. Neither legislation nor doctrine enables the conscience of soldiers. Together, provisions of legislation and doctrine seem to take soldiers for granted. And, rather than strengthening the military instrument, the convention of legislation and doctrine seems to weaken the democratic foundations upon which the military may be shaped as a force for justice. Denied liberty of their conscience, soldiers are denied the foundational right of democratic citizenship and construed as utensils of the State. This article critiques the idea of moral agency in Australian legislation and military doctrine and is concerned with the obligation of the State to safeguard the moral integrity of individual soldiers, so soldiers might serve with a fully formed moral assurance to advance justice in the world. Beyond its explicit focus on the convention of Australian thought, this article raises questions of far-reaching relevance. The provisos of Australian legislation and doctrine are an analogue of western thinking. Thus, this discussion challenges many assumptions concerning military duty and effectiveness. Discussion will additionally provoke some reassessment of the expectations democratic societies hold of their soldiers.

Global adaptation patterns of Australian and CIMMYT spring bread wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Ky L; Chapman, Scott C; Trethowan, Richard; Pfeiffer, Wolfgang; van Ginkel, Maarten; Crossa, Jose; Payne, Thomas; Delacy, Ian; Fox, Paul N; Cooper, Mark

2007-10-01

The International Adaptation Trial (IAT) is a special purpose nursery designed to investigate the genotype-by-environment interactions and worldwide adaptation for grain yield of Australian and CIMMYT spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (T. turgidum L. var. durum). The IAT contains lines representing Australian and CIMMYT wheat breeding programs and was distributed to 91 countries between 2000 and 2004. Yield data of 41 reference lines from 106 trials were analysed. A multiplicative mixed model accounted for trial variance heterogeneity and inter-trial correlations characteristic of multi-environment trials. A factor analytic model explained 48% of the genetic variance for the reference lines. Pedigree information was then incorporated to partition the genetic line effects into additive and non-additive components. This model explained 67 and 56% of the additive by environment and non-additive by environment genetic variances, respectively. Australian and CIMMYT germplasm showed good adaptation to their respective target production environments. In general, Australian lines performed well in south and west Australia, South America, southern Africa, Iran and high latitude European and Canadian locations. CIMMYT lines performed well at CIMMYT's key yield testing location in Mexico (CIANO), north-eastern Australia, the Indo-Gangetic plains, West Asia North Africa and locations in Europe and Canada. Maturity explained some of the global adaptation patterns. In general, southern Australian germplasm were later maturing than CIMMYT material. While CIANO continues to provide adapted lines to northern Australia, selecting for yield among later maturing CIMMYT material in CIANO may identify lines adapted to southern and western Australian environments.

The Australian Geodetic Observing Program. Current Status and Future Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, G.; Dawson, J. H.

2015-12-01

Over the last decade, the Australian government has through programs like AuScope, the Asia Pacific Reference Frame (APREF), and the Pacific Sea Level Monitoring (PSLM) Project made a significant contribution to the Global Geodetic Observing Program. In addition to supporting the national research priorities, this contribution is justified by Australia's growing economic dependence on precise positioning to underpin efficient transportation, geospatial data management, and industrial automation (e.g., robotic mining and precision agriculture) and the consequent need for the government to guarantee provision of precise positioning products to the Australian community. It is also well recognised within Australia that there is an opportunity to exploit our near unique position as being one of the few regions in the world to see all new and emerging satellite navigation systems including Galileo (Europe), GPS III (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Beidou (China), QZSS (Japan) and IRNSS (India). It is in this context that the Australian geodetic program will build on earlier efforts and further develop its key geodetic capabilities. This will include the creation of an independent GNSS analysis capability that will enable Australia to contribute to the International GNSS Service (IGS) and an upgrade of key geodetic infrastructure including the national VLBI and GNSS arrays. This presentation will overview the significant geodetic activities undertaken by the Australian government and highlight its future plans.

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Asian and Anglo-Australian adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Strugnell, Claudia; M N Renzaho, Andre; Ridley, Kate; Burns, Cate

2015-08-01

Evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) participation varies among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) adolescents. The present study examined differences in PA and SB among a CALD sample of Chinese Australian, South-east Asian and Anglo-Australian adolescents. Data from 286 adolescents aged 12-16 years involved in the Chinese and Australian Adolescent Health Survey in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, were analysed. Accelerometry outcomes included median activity counts per minute (counts x min(-1)) and minutes per day (min x day(-1)) spent in light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST). Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and sequential multiple hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine CALD differences in PA and ST. Multivariate analyses of accelerometry data found Chinese Australian and South-east Asian adolescents engaged in significantly less daily MVPA (5-8 min x day(-1)) and LPA (50-58 min x day(-1); P Asian adolescents compared with Anglo-Australian adolescents. These findings have important public health implications in furthering our understanding of CALD differences in PA and SB. SO WHAT? An understanding of the CALD differences in physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Australian adolescents has important implications for intervention planning and delivery as well as the wider health implications of these behaviours. This article furthers the current understanding of CALD adolescents' participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour, of which limited information is available.

Displaying Voter Gains and Losses: Local Government Elections in South Africa for 2011 and 2016

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Schmitz, Peter MU

2017-05-01

Full Text Available of voter behavior between two subsequent local government elections from 2011 and 2016. The percentage voter gains and losses for the top three political parties in South Africa are shown. In the election of 2016, the ruling African National Congress (ANC...

USGS analysis of the Australian UNCLOS submission

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Rowland, Robert W.

2006-01-01

In November 2004, the Government of Australia made a submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) for 10 extended continental shelf (ECS) regions, utilizing Article-76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). With information provided in the Australian Executive Summary, the USGS examined the 10 regions of the submission from geological, morphological, and resource perspectives. By their own request, the Australians asked that CLCS take no action on the Australian-Antarctic Territory. The major limitation in this analysis is that no bathymetric soundings or detailed hydrographic profiles were provided in the Australian Executive Summary that might show why the Foot of the Slope (FOS) was chosen or where the 2,500-m contour is located. This represents a major limitation because more than half of the 4,205 boundary points utilize the bathymetric formula line and more than one-third of them utilize the bathymetric constraint line. CLCS decisions on the components of this submission may set a precedent for how ECSs are treated in future submissions. Some of the key decisions will cover (a) how a 'natural prolongation' of a continental margin is determined, particularly if a bathymetric saddle that appears to determine the prolongation is in deep water and is well outside of the 200-nm limit (Exmouth Plateau), (b) defining to what extent that plateaus, rises, caps, banks and spurs that are formed of oceanic crust and from oceanic processes can be considered to be 'natural prolongations' (Kerguelen Plateau), (c) to what degree UNCLOS recognizes reefs and uninhabited micro-islands (specifically, rocks and/or sand shoals) as islands that can have an EEZ (Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs north of Lord Howe Island), and (d) how the Foot of the Slope (FOS) is chosen (Great Australian Bight). The submission contains situations that are relevant to potential future U.S. submissions and are potentially analogous to certain

Medical radioisotope production - the Australian experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Druce, M. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Menai (Australia)

1996-12-31

The Australian government, through its instrumentality, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO), owns and operates a 10-MW Dido-class research reactor at Lucas Heights on the southern outskirts of Sydney. This is the only operating nuclear reactor in Australia. It was built in 1958 and has a maximum flux of 1 x 10{sup 14} n/cm{sup 2}{center_dot}s. ANSTO also jointly owns and operates a 30-MeV IBA negative ion cyclotron at Camperdown in central Sydney, which began operation in 1992. ANSTO is predominantly a research organization; however, radioisotopes are commercially produced through Australian Radioisotopes (ARI), an ANSTO business entity. Seventy-four people are employed by ARI, which is a vertically integrated organization, i.e., everything from target preparation to sale of products is undertaken.

Politics, pain and pleasure: the art of art-making for ‘settled’ Aboriginal Australians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorraine Gibson

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Since the emergence of the ‘acrylic art movement’ which came out of Papunya in the Western Desert of Australia in the 1970s, Aboriginal art and cultures have become intertwined in public discourse, through government policy, and in visual art worlds. It is arguably through their artworks that Australian Aboriginal people have become increasingly known both within Australia and overseas (Merlan 2001; cf. Fourmille 1994.i Indeed, in many ways, Aboriginal art has come to represent Aboriginal people and their culture (Myers 2002. But what kind of art is acceptably deemed Aboriginal in mainstream art worlds, by Australian Aboriginal people, and why? What does this mean personally, socially and economically for those Aboriginal artists who are located in the south-eastern parts of Australia which were first colonised? For the most part these people are deemed by the mainstream population to have ‘lost their culture’. More than this, they are spoken of by some other Aboriginal people from the more remote and later colonised parts of the continent in similar terms. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork with the Barkindji people of Wilcannia, a small country town in the south-east of Australia, this paper explores the role of art making and art talk and the ways in which these are implicated in the politics of culture, in cultural subjectivity, and in the consolidation and (recreation of cultural identity.

Questioning the Pace and Pathway of E-Government Development in Africa: A Case Study of South Africa's Cape Gateway Project

Science.gov (United States)

Maumbe, Blessing Mukabeta; Owei, Vesper; Alexander, Helen

2008-01-01

The paper examines e-government development in Africa. This study is based on the Cape Gateway project in South Africa, a leading e-government initiative on the continent. We observe that African countries have jumped on the e-government band wagon by looking mostly at the benefits without a clear risk assessment. We argue that African countries…

An analysis of the declining support for the ANC during the 2011 South African local government elections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C Twala

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Local government elections are notorious for low voter turnout, but the May 2011 elections in South Africa showed a record 58 percent of the 24 million registered voters. In South Africa, local government matters and not just because it provides a pointer to what might happen in the provincial and national elections due in 2014, but helps in determining the readiness of the African Nation Congress in providing basic services to the different communities. Interestingly, these elections were preceded by service delivery protests against the ANC. The article is an analysis of the decreased support for the ANC during the 2011 local government elections. The multifaceted reasons behind the boiling cauldron of this decline in support for the ANC are scrutinised. Underpinning this decline in support often lie deep and complex factors which can be uncovered through a careful analysis of the ANC’s campaigning strategies ahead of these elections; the media which has been accused of rampant sensationalism; service delivery protests and mudslinging from other political parties. However, it is not the author’s intention in this article to deal with how other parties fared during these elections, but to highlight their impact on the declined support received by the ANC in the elections. The discussion is presented in four parts: the first presents an exploratory discussion on the theory of local government in the sphere of governance. The second part discusses some key strategies and tactics used by the ANC in attempts to galvanise support, as well as the challenges encountered. The third deals with the opposition parties’ machinery in preventing the ANC from getting a majority vote during the election. Lastly, the article concludes by highlighting the lessons learnt by the ANC during these elections within the framework of electoral politics in South Africa. Keywords: local election 2011, African National Congress (ANC, local government.  Disciplines

Participatory Democracy in Theory and Practice: A Case Study of Local Government in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ntsikelelo Breakfast

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The idea of democracy is a curious oneand puzzling. There is reason for this;everyone talks about democracy no matter whether their views are on the left, centreor right of the political spectrum. Various politicians, regimes, whether in Africa, Europe or America claim to be democratic;yet what each says and does is usuallydifferent. Democracy as a practice is supposed to bestow rules, laws and decisions that are justifiable on democraticgrounds. Democracy also has evolved through social struggles. This article examines the practice of democracy withinthe context of local government in South Africa, and is an attempt to explore the concept of democracy without escaping other historical aspects of the idea and practice. From a methodological standpoint, this article is based on a literature assessment. Lastly and most importantly, this paper has made a scholarly contribution to the scholarship of Political Science and Public Administration with regard to the nexus between democracy and public participation at local government level in South Africa.

Hurricane & Tropical Storm Impacts over the South Florida Metropolitan Area: Mortality & Government

Science.gov (United States)

Colon Pagan, I. C.

2007-12-01

Since 1985, the South Florida Metropolitan area (SFMA), which covers the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, has been directly affected by 9 tropical cyclones: four tropical storms and 5 hurricanes. This continuous hurricane and tropical storm activity has awakened the conscience of the communities, government, and private sector, about the social vulnerability, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and others. Several factors have also been significant enough to affect the vulnerability of the South Florida Metropolitan area, like its geographic location which is at the western part of the Atlantic hurricane track, with a surface area of 6,137 square miles, and elevation of 15 feet. And second, from the 2006 Census estimate, this metropolitan area is the 7th most populous area in the United States supporting almost 1,571 individuals per square mile. Mortality levels due to hurricanes and tropical storms have fluctuated over the last 21 years without any signal of a complete reduction, a phenomenon that can be related to both physical characteristics of the storms and government actions. The average annual death count remains almost the same from 4.10 between 1985 and 1995 to 4 from 1996 to 2006. However, the probability of occurrence of a direct impact of an atmospheric disturbance has increase from 0.3 to 0.6, with an average of three hurricane or tropical storm direct impacts for every five. This analysis suggests an increasing problem with regard to atmospheric disturbances-related deaths in the South Florida Metropolitan area. In other words, despite substantial increases in population during the last 21 years, the number of tropical cyclone-related deaths is not declining; it's just being segregated among more storms. Gaps between each impact can be related to mortality levels. When that time increases in five years or more, such as Bob and Andrew or Irene and Katrina, or decreases in weeks or months, such as Harvey and Irene or Katrina and Wilma

Assessing the Performance of Educational Research in Australian Universities: An Alternative Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Laura B.

2018-01-01

This study uses bibliometric data to assess the performance of educational research in Australian universities. It provides an alternative perspective to the Australian government's Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment. ERA results suggest that the performance of educational research is substantially less compared to other…

Welcome to 2012: Australian Academic Developers and Student-Driven University Funding

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Peter; Fraser, Kym; Gosling, David

2013-01-01

Are there consequences for academic development arising from the move to student-driven funding in the Australian higher education sector from 2012? In a move that has similarities to the UK, Australian government-supported student university funding will, from 2012, attach to students who can select a programme at the university of their choice…

Mental health screening in immigration detention: A fresh look at Australian government data.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Peter; Gordon, Michael S

2016-02-01

The poor mental health of asylum seekers and refugees in immigration detention has consistently been reported in peer-reviewed literature internationally; however, data on the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees detained in Australian immigration has been very limited. We re-analysed mental health screening data obtained by the Human Rights Commission. Longer time in detention was associated with higher self-reported depression scores, with female individuals being more vulnerable to time in detention than those of male gender. Approximately one-half of the refugee group who agreed to complete the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire had post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. On clinician-rated measures, one-third of the children, adolescents and adults suffered with clinical symptoms requiring tertiary outpatient assessment. This paper consolidates the findings of the 2014 Australian Human Rights Commission report and it provides an argument for public reporting of refugee data. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Challenging urban health: towards an improved local government response to migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Vearey

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This article is a review of the PhD thesis undertaken by Joanna Vearey that explores local government responses to the urban health challenges of migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa. Urbanisation in South Africa is a result of natural urban growth and (to a lesser extent in-migration from within the country and across borders. This has led to the development of informal settlements within and on the periphery of urban areas. The highest HIV prevalence nationally is found within urban informal settlements. South African local government has a ‘developmental mandate’ that calls for government to work with citizens to develop sustainable interventions to address their social, economic, and material needs. Through a mixed-methods approach, four studies were undertaken within inner-city Johannesburg and a peripheral urban informal settlement. Two cross-sectional surveys – one at a household level and one with migrant antiretroviral clients – were supplemented with semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders involved with urban health and HIV in Johannesburg, and participatory photography and film projects undertaken with urban migrant communities. The findings show that local government requires support in developing and implementing appropriate intersectoral responses to address urban health. Existing urban health frameworks do not deal adequately with the complex health and development challenges identified; it is essential that urban public health practitioners and other development professionals in South Africa engage with the complexities of the urban environment. A revised, participatory approach to urban health – ‘concept mapping’ – is suggested which requires a recommitment to intersectoral action, ‘healthy urban governance’ and public health advocacy.

Challenging urban health: towards an improved local government response to migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Vearey, Joanna

2011-01-01

This article is a review of the PhD thesis undertaken by Joanna Vearey that explores local government responses to the urban health challenges of migration, informal settlements, and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa. Urbanisation in South Africa is a result of natural urban growth and (to a lesser extent) in-migration from within the country and across borders. This has led to the development of informal settlements within and on the periphery of urban areas. The highest HIV prevalence nationally is found within urban informal settlements. South African local government has a ‘developmental mandate’ that calls for government to work with citizens to develop sustainable interventions to address their social, economic, and material needs. Through a mixed-methods approach, four studies were undertaken within inner-city Johannesburg and a peripheral urban informal settlement. Two cross-sectional surveys – one at a household level and one with migrant antiretroviral clients – were supplemented with semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders involved with urban health and HIV in Johannesburg, and participatory photography and film projects undertaken with urban migrant communities. The findings show that local government requires support in developing and implementing appropriate intersectoral responses to address urban health. Existing urban health frameworks do not deal adequately with the complex health and development challenges identified; it is essential that urban public health practitioners and other development professionals in South Africa engage with the complexities of the urban environment. A revised, participatory approach to urban health – ‘concept mapping’ – is suggested which requires a recommitment to intersectoral action, ‘healthy urban governance’ and public health advocacy. PMID:21686331

Communication dated 14 December 2012 received from the Australian Government

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The Secretariat has received a communication dated 14 December 2012 from the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, enclosing a paper on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network on the fundamentals and good practices of safeguards regulatory authorities. The aforementioned communication and, as requested, the enclosed paper are herewith circulated for the information of Member States.

Australian Atomic Energy Commission: A case study in Australian science and government

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moyal, A M [New South Wales Inst. of Tech., Broadway (Australia)

1975-09-01

No major scientific body in Australia has evoked as much questioning, criticism and speculation as the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, which was established in 1953 and which, 21 years later, still stands poised on the threshold of bringing Australia into the nuclear age. It is argued that the AAEC has not consolidated the goals and purposes which were set for it over two decades ago. This study attempts to answer the following questions: 1) Is the AAEC a viable institution or is it a white elephant; 2) Has it a rationale and a future in the present age; 3) Has it been accountable or has it evolved, expanded, reorganised, changed direction, consumed funds, used and produced talent, and ultimately marked time behind closed political and administrative doors; 4) Why have its work, its accomplishments and failures not been subjected to public scrutiny.

Intersectoral action on SDH and equity in Australian health policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Matthew; Baum, Frances E; MacDougall, Colin; Newman, Lareen; McDermott, Dennis; Phillips, Clare

2017-12-01

Intersectoral action between public agencies across policy sectors, and between levels of government, is seen as essential for effective action by governments to address social determinants of health (SDH) and to reduce health inequities. The health sector has been identified as having a crucial stewardship role, to engage other policy sectors in action to address the impacts of their policies on health. This article reports on research to investigate intersectoral action on SDH and health inequities in Australian health policy. We gathered and individually analysed 266 policy documents, being all of the published, strategic health policies of the national Australian government and eight State/Territory governments, current at the time of sampling in late 2012-early 2013. Our analysis showed that strategies for intersectoral action were common in Australian health policy, but predominantly concerned with extending access to individualized medical or behavioural interventions to client groups in other policy sectors. Where intersectoral strategies did propose action on SDH (other than access to health-care), they were mostly limited to addressing proximal factors, rather than policy settings affecting the distribution of socioeconomic resources. There was little evidence of engagement between the health sector and those policy sectors most able to influence systemic socioeconomic inequalities in Australia. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Japanese wives in Japanese-Australian intermarriages

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Jared Denman

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The diasporic experiences of Japanese partners married to Australians and living in Australia are largely unexamined. This article is based on a study, conducted for an honours thesis, which invited four Japanese wives living in South East Queensland to describe, together with their Australian husbands, their family’s interactions with Japan, its language and culture, and the local Japanese community. It was recognised that the extensive social networks these wives had established and maintained with local Japanese women from other Japanese-Australian intermarriage families were an important part of their migrant experience. This article will firstly review the literature on contemporary Japanese- Australian intermarriage in Australia and Japanese lifestyle migration to Australia. It will then describe and examine the involvement and motivations of the four wives in their social networks. Entry into motherhood was found to be the impetus for developing and participating in informal, autonomous networks. Additionally, regular visits to Japan were focused on engagement with existing family and friendship networks. The contemporary experience of intermarriage for these women is decidedly transnational and fundamentally different from that of the war brides, or sensō hanayome.

Enhancing Educational Performance for Remote Aboriginal Australians: What Is the Impact of Attendance on Performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Jorgensen, Robyn

2012-01-01

The educational performance of Aboriginal Australians lags behind non-Indigenous Australians with the gap increasing the longer students remain at school. The Australian government has released its Closing the Gap policy with the specific intent to redress gaps in health, education and housing, as these are seen as key indicators to life success.…

A review of the growth of monitoring and evaluation in South Africa: Monitoring and evaluation as a profession, an industry and a governance tool

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Mark A. Abrahams

2015-09-01

Full Text Available South Africa is one several African countries with an official ministry responsible for monitoring and evaluation (M&E. Some of the other countries include Ghana, Kenya, Benin and Uganda. The development of M&E in South Africa has been stymied in part by its interdisciplinary nature, trying to find roots within historically a very discipline-based higher education system. Over the last ten years, however, there has been a huge increase in the number, scope and quality of evaluations conducted in this country. Government agencies and Non-government organisations (NGOs often using international donor funds for their own projects, have been engaged in outsourcing evaluation studies, and currently all government departments have established their own M&E units. There are statutory bodies such as the Public Service Commission (PSC and the Department for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME with the responsibility to monitor and evaluate the government’s service delivery and performance. The South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA, established in 2005, draws together M&E practitioners, trainers in M&E, development agencies as well as government officials at its biennial conferences and sustains a vibrant community via its listserv – SAMEATalk. This article reviews the growth of monitoring and evaluation in South Africa and reflects on the current or prominent nature of M&E in this country. It deliberates about M&E developing into a profession, its growth as an industry or businessand its increasing adoption as a governance tool for development in South Africa. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the growth of M&E in South Africa.

Potential Benefits of Monitoring and Evaluation as a Tool in the South African Local Government Spheres

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T. R. Mle

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Public institutions exist for the public good and employ public officials to perform duties aimed at providing a better life for all. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 requires that the public service maintains a high standard of professional ethics, use resources efficiently and effectively, and provide services equitably.  When the new political dispensation came into being in 1994 in South Africa, the newly-elected government committed itself to ensuring a better life for all through the provision of services, for example water and electricity supply, sanitation, and houses, etc. To this end, policies and programmes were put in place. However, the challenge that faces the government is the implementation of these policies and programmes which largely remains unsatisfactory. Systems of reporting and performance are, in the main, weak. To address this short-coming, therefore, government came up with the concept of monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of policies and programmes to the extent of creating a new department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency.  Key to the effective implementation of government policies and programmes is the introduction of a tool to ensure that such policies and programmes do not gather dust. This paper therefore, posits how such a tool can have potential benefits in the local government sphere and be a panacea to the ills of this sphere which is characterized by violent service delivery protests through which communities express their dissatisfaction at the non-delivery of essential services.

Australia's South African war 1899-19021

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1999, rests on research toward a new history of Australians and the South African war commissioned by ... "spontaneity": the Australian offers of troops for the Boer war', Historical Studies. 18(70) Apr ...... 'People come out of that movie', said Jack Thompson, an actor in it;. 'saying "Fuck ... A documentary due for release soon ...

The Australian Defence Force: Broadened Concepts of Security Operations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wing, Ian

1998-01-01

...-fighting role and could result in fundamental force structure and resource changes. More Australian Government policy changes are possible, and increased participation in counter-drug operations has been foreshadowed...

Uranium: a notable Australian decision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Willheim, E

1978-07-01

Australia, with 20% of the world's known reserves, has legislated strict controls for the mining, milling, and export of its uranium deposits. Background information on the environmental inquiry preceding this legislation is reviewed, including a description of the Australian Environmental Protection Act and the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry. A package of six bills implemented the Australian government's decisions on: (1) nuclear proliferation and safeguards, (2) mining in the Kakadu National Park wilderness area, (3) economic and social protection of the Aboriginal people, (4) nuclear waste disposal, (5) security from nuclear terrorism, and (6) environmental controls. The author concludes that the decision and implementing legislation were improved as a result of the public environmental inquiry technique.

Australian Children's Understanding of Display Rules

Science.gov (United States)

Choy, Grace

2009-01-01

Cultural display rules govern the manifestation of emotional expressions. In compliance with display rules, the facial expressions displayed (i.e. apparent emotion) may be incongruent with the emotion experienced (i.e. real emotion). This study investigates Australian Caucasian children's understanding of display rules. A sample of 80 four year…

Soil governance in the agricultural landscapes of New South Wales, Australia

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Ashley A Webb

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Soil is a valuable natural resource. In the state of New South Wales, Australia, the governance of soil has evolved since Federation in 1901. Following rapid agricultural development, and in the face of widespread soil degradation, the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service marked a turning point in the management of soil. Throughout the 20th century, advances in knowledge were translated into evolving governance frameworks that were largely reactionary but saw progressive reforms such as water pollution legislation and case studies of catchment-scale land and vegetation management. In the 21st century, significant reforms have embedded sustainable use of agricultural soils within catchment- and landscape-scale legislative and institutional frameworks. What is clear, however, is that a multitude of governance strategies and models are utilised in NSW. No single governance model is applicable to all situations because it is necessary to combine elements of several different mechanisms or instruments to achieve the most desired outcomes. Where an industry, such as the sugar industry, has taken ownership of an issue such as acid sulfate soil management, self-regulation has proven to be extremely effective. In the case of co-managing agricultural soils with other landuses, such as mining, petroleum exploration and urban development, regulation, compliance and enforcement mechanisms have been preferred. Institutional arrangements in the form of independent commissioners have also played a role. At the landscape or total catchment level, it is clear that a mix of mechanisms is required. Fundamental, however, to the successful evolution of soil governance is strategic investment in soil research and development that informs the ongoing productive use of agricultural landscapes while preventing land degradation or adverse environmental effects.

The chlorine-36 dating program at the Australian National University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fifield, L.F.; Ophel, T.R.; Bird, J.R.; Calf, G.E.; Allison, G.B.; Chivas, A.R.

1987-05-01

A chlorine-36 dating capability based on the 14UD pelletron accelerator was developed at the Australian National University during 1986 and is now entering the routine measurement phase. It involves a collaboration between the Department of Nuclear Physics, the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and CSIRO Division of Soils. The chlorine-36 dating system is described and some early results are presented for samples of chloride from salt lakes in Western Australia and soil profiles in South Australia

Investigating the Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction of Construction Workers in South Australia

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M. Reza Hosseini

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, its aim is to ascertain the major aspects of job satisfaction for South Australian construction workers including the main ramifications of job satisfaction in the working environment. Secondly, it investigates the influence of key age-related factors i.e. chronological age, organisational age and length of service on major aspects of job satisfaction. The collected data for this study comprised 72 questionnaires completed by construction practitioners working at operational levels in the South Australian construction industry. Based on the responses from the target group, this study deduced that job dissatisfaction was predominantly related to the adverse impact on personal health and quality of life. In addition, indifference and the perception of dejection in the workplace are the main consequences of low levels of job satisfaction. Inferential analyses revealed that none of the age-related factors could significantly affect the major aspects of job satisfaction of construction workers in the South Australian context. The study concludes with providing practical suggestions for redesigning human resources practices for increasing the level of job satisfaction within the South Australian construction industry.Keywords: Job satisfaction, workers, age, construction industry, South Australia

A bibliometric analysis of Australian general practice publications from 1980 to 2007 using PubMed

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Kumara Mendis

2010-12-01

Discussion Australian GP publications have shown an impressive growth from 1980 to 2007 with a 15- fold increase. This increase may be due in part to the actions of the Australian government over the past decade to financially support research in primary care, as well as the maturing of academic general practice. This analysis can assist governments, researchers, policy makers and others to target resources so that further developments can be encouraged, supported and monitored.

Steady as he goes: at-sea movement of adult male Australian sea lions in a dynamic marine environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew D Lowther

Full Text Available The southern coastline of Australia forms part of the worlds' only northern boundary current system. The Bonney Upwelling occurs every austral summer along the south-eastern South Australian coastline, a region that hosts over 80% of the worlds population of an endangered endemic otariid, the Australian sea lion. We present the first data on the movement characteristics and foraging behaviour of adult male Australian sea lions across their South Australian range. Synthesizing telemetric, oceanographic and isotopic datasets collected from seven individuals enabled us to characterise individual foraging behaviour over an approximate two year time period. Data suggested seasonal variability in stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes that could not be otherwise explained by changes in animal movement patterns. Similarly, animals did not change their foraging patterns despite fine-scale spatial and temporal variability of the upwelling event. Individual males tended to return to the same colony at which they were tagged and utilized the same at-sea regions for foraging irrespective of oceanographic conditions or time of year. Our study contrasts current general assumptions that male otariid life history strategies should result in greater dispersal, with adult male Australian sea lions displaying central place foraging behaviour similar to males of other otariid species in the region.

The prevalence of dental anomalies in an Australian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, H Q; Constantine, S; Anderson, P J

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental anomalies within an Australian paediatric population using panoramic radiographs. This was a prospective review of 1050 panoramic radiographs obtained as part of a school dental screening program in suburban and rural New South Wales, Australia. Fifty-four (5.14%) patients had a dental anomaly present. Agenesis was noted to have occurred 69 times across 45 patients (4.28%), along with seven cases of impaction (0.6%) and three cases of supernumerary teeth (0.28%). Dental anomalies rarely occur in the Australian population, which possesses a wide-ranging multiethnic cohort. Despite their rarity, they can be incidentally discovered so identification and management by dental practitioners are important. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

Assuming too much? Participatory water resource governance in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Julia

2011-01-01

This paper argues that participation in natural resource management, which is often coupled with moves for more local ownership of decision making, is based on three sets of assumptions: about the role of the state, the universality of application of such approaches and the transformatory potential of institutional reform. The validity of these assumptions requires investigation in view of the rapid institutionalisation and scaling-up of participatory approaches, particularly in developing country contexts. Post-apartheid South Africa is widely recognised as a pioneer of participatory and devolutionary approaches, particularly in the field of water resources. It is 12 years since the promulgation of the forward-thinking 1998 National Water Act, and thus an opportune moment to reflect on South Africa's experiences of participatory governance. Drawing on empirical research covering the establishment of the first Catchment Management Agency, and the transformation of existing Irrigation Boards into more inclusive Water User Associations in the Inkomati Water Management Area, it emerges that there may be fundamental weaknesses in the participatory model and underlying assumptions, and indeed such approaches may actually reinforce inequitable outcomes: the legacy of long-established institutional frameworks and powerful actors therein continues to exert influence in post-apartheid South Africa, and has the potential to subvert the democratic and redistributive potential of the water reforms. It is argued that a reassessment of the role of the state is necessary: where there is extreme heterogeneity in challenging catchments more, rather than less, state intervention may be required to uphold the interests of marginalised groups and effect redistribution.

Governance, ‘sovereignty-state-territory triad’, human population migration and xenophobia in (South Africa

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Johannes Tsheola

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article seeks to examine the association of the concept of governance of international relations and, by implication, human population migration, through the rigid practices of “sovereignty-state-territory triad” with the fomentation and exacerbation of societal stereotypes, attitudes and perceptions of xenophobia in Africa, in general, and South Africa, in particular. Ascriptions of the majority of population migration as “international” affirms the centrality of the operationalisation of the “sovereignty-state-territory triad” in understanding the fragmentary constructions of societal attitudes and perceptions of people resident in distinct geopolitical entities ascribed as national territories. State and non-state governance entrapments with this triad perpetuate societal stereotypes that are in concurrence with bordered-territories where populations described as citizens are stimulated to protect endowments and resources of the land against the perceived destruction associated with the conduct of the out-groups. Unsurprisingly, the theorisation of human population migration has equally been intricately involved with environmental conservation and securitisation of biodiversity that enables land dispossession of the vulnerable sections of the population through the Western economic narratives of “Peace Parks”. Simultaneously in Southern Africa, the concept of African Renaissance, inescapably embedded with “cooperation and conflict” at all scales, has offered a buzzword to be realised through “Peace Parks” that have evidently failed to deliver reaffirmation of African cultures, continental emancipation and democratisation. The preeminence of societal stereotypes, attitudes and perceptions of xenophobia and violent abuses of African immigrants in South Africa provides vivid illustrations of the inconsistencies and non-linearity of concepts such as African Renaissance and “Peace Parks”. This article asserts that

Board of director characteristics and audit report lag: Australian evidence

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Harjinder Singh

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This study examines whether board of director’s independence, financial expertise, gender, corporate governance experience and diligence impact the audit report lag exhibited by Australian publicly listed firms. Using a pooled sample of 500 firm-year observations obtained from the Australian Securities Exchange for the period 2004 to 2008, this study finds evidence that board member independence, board member financial expertise and, to a lesser extent, board member corporate governance experience are the most significant predictors associated with shorter/reduced audit report lag. Main findings are robust to alternative measures of audit report lag, board characteristics and control variables. Findings from this study clearly imply that boards play a substantial role in reducing audit report lag. Results imply that legislative and regulatory requirements, both in Australian and overseas, stipulating board member independence and financial expertise requirements are effective in improving the integrity of financial reporting, a key component of which is timeliness of financial reporting (encapsulated by audit report lag. In addition, an additional board characteristic that regulators should consider promoting among firms is board member corporate governance experience. Results from this study, therefore, have clear implications not only for regulators but also for key stakeholders such shareholders and management.

How Will Access and Reliability of Information Communications Technology Resources Affect the Potential Implementation of the Australian Curriculum?

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Gemma

2014-01-01

The Australian Government has recently introduced a national based curriculum, known as The Australian Curriculum. This new curriculum is intended to provide quality education for all students (Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Authority, [ACARA], 2013). This article considers some of the possible implications of the Australian…

Divine service, music, sport, and recreation as medicinal in Australian asylums 1860s-1945.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKinnon, Dolly

2009-01-01

Australian asylum records (circa 1860 to circa 1945) demonstrate that medical staff went to great lengths to provide recreation to suitable patients. This article examines how the demarcation of Australian institutional spaces along gender divisions was also mirrored by the gender-specific recreational activities provided in purpose-built facilities. Using Australian examples I demonstrate how the main forms of recreation-that is divine service, music and dance, and sport-were justified to governments on medical grounds. Some designated recreational spaces even offered select female and male patients the opportunity to mix under medical supervision. Recreation was therapeutic because of its psychological, physical, social, and moral benefits, and government authorities funded the construction of costly chapels, recreation halls, and sports grounds expressly for this medical purpose.

Searching for public benefits in solar subsidies: A case study on the Australian government's residential photovoltaic rebate program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macintosh, Andrew; Wilkinson, Deb

2011-01-01

The Australian Government ran a renewable energy program in the 2000s that provided rebates to householders who acquired solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. Originally called the Photovoltaic Rebate Program (PVRP), it was rebranded the Solar Homes and Communities Plan (SHCP) in November 2007. This paper evaluates both the PVRP and SHCP using measures of cost-effectiveness and fairness. It finds that the program was a major driver of a more than six-fold increase in PV generation capacity in the 2000s, albeit off a low base. In 2010, solar PV's share of the Australian electricity market was still only 0.1%. The program was also environmentally ineffective and costly, reducing emissions by 0.09 MtCO 2 -e/yr over the life of the rebated PV systems at an average cost of between AU$238 and AU$282/tCO 2 -e. In addition, the data suggest there were equity issues associated with the program, with 66% of all successful applicants residing in postal areas that were rated as medium-high or high on a Socio-economic Status (SES) scale. - Research highlights: → We evaluated a solar photovoltaic (PV) rebate program. → The program was ineffective, reducing emissions by 0.09 MtCO 2 -e/yr. → The average abatement cost was ∼AU$250/tCO 2 -e. → The program had a relatively minor impact as an industry assistance measure. → The distribution of rebates was skewed toward higher SES areas.

Hybridization of governance : The challenge of balancing policy impacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Heijden, J.J.

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on the impacts of hybrid forms of governance. Such hybrids are characterized by an arrangement of tasks and responsibilities, regarding regulatory governance, between public and private sector agencies. Empirically the paper is based on regulatory reforms in Australian and

Regulation to create environments conducive to physical activity: understanding the barriers and facilitators at the Australian state government level.

Science.gov (United States)

Shill, Jane; Mavoa, Helen; Crammond, Brad; Loff, Bebe; Peeters, Anna; Lawrence, Mark; Allender, Steven; Sacks, Gary; Swinburn, Boyd A

2012-01-01

Policy and regulatory interventions aimed at creating environments more conducive to physical activity (PA) are an important component of strategies to improve population levels of PA. However, many potentially effective policies are not being broadly implemented. This study sought to identify potential policy/regulatory interventions targeting PA environments, and barriers/facilitators to their implementation at the Australian state/territory government level. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior representatives from state/territory governments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations (n = 40) to examine participants': 1) suggestions for regulatory interventions to create environments more conducive to PA; 2) support for preselected regulatory interventions derived from a literature review. Thematic and constant comparative analyses were conducted. POLICY INTERVENTIONS MOST COMMONLY SUGGESTED BY PARTICIPANTS FELL INTO TWO AREAS: 1) urban planning and provision of infrastructure to promote active travel; 2) discouraging the use of private motorised vehicles. Of the eleven preselected interventions presented to participants, interventions relating to walkability/cycling and PA facilities received greatest support. Interventions involving subsidisation (of public transport, PA-equipment) and the provision of more public transport infrastructure received least support. These were perceived as not economically viable or unlikely to increase PA levels. Dominant barriers were: the powerful 'road lobby', weaknesses in the planning system and the cost of potential interventions. Facilitators were: the provision of evidence, collaboration across sectors, and synergies with climate change/environment agendas. This study points to how difficult it will be to achieve policy change when there is a powerful 'road lobby' and government investment prioritises road infrastructure over PA-promoting infrastructure. It highlights the pivotal role of the

Cataract surgery audit at an Australian urban teaching hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahawita, Shyalle K; Goggin, Michael

2015-08-01

To provide local data on visual acuity and surgical outcomes for cataract surgery performed in an Australian teaching hospital. Continuous audit over 7 years in a public teaching hospital. A total of 3740 eyes had cataract surgery performed at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, South Australia, from May 2006 to September 2013. Visual acuity and complication rates were recorded for cataract surgery cases operated on between May 2006 and September 2013 on a digital database with data entry contemporaneous with final follow-up. Visual acuity and surgical complications. Of the patients, 91.4% achieved postoperative best-measured vision better than preoperative best-measured vision. The rate of posterior capsular tear was 2.59%, endophthalmitis was 0.11% and the overall complication rate was 11.7%. This audit is the first to document modern cataract surgery, overwhelmingly dominated by phacoemulsification in an Australian population and can be used to benchmark cataract surgery outcome in an urban Australian population. © 2015 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Commercial Activities and Copyright in Australian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Shelly, Marita

2008-01-01

With government funding for most Australian universities below 60% and falling a major strategic emphasis for universities has been on securing other sources of operating revenue, including commercial opportunities and partnerships. The implication of increasing commercial activities such as non-award and tailored professional programmes, contract…

Governance Structure of Strategic Alliances - Evidences From the South Moravian Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estélyiová Kristína

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of the paper is to explore the governance structure of strategic alliances created by small and medium enterprises in the South Moravian Region. It deeper examines contractual alliances between strategic partners with focus on the contract and also deals with the protection of intellectual property rights in the investigated firms. To gain data for investigation, both primary and secondary research have been applied. Within the former the main data collection methods were the questionnaire survey and semi-structured personal interviews. The overall goal of the paper is to enhance the knowledge about the creation and functioning of strategic alliances in the Czech Republic.This paper is organized in the following way: first of all, the notion of strategic alliance is introduced. Next, the main forms of governance structure are presented in more details. This is followed by the objective and the methods of research. The results present the main findings of the research and discuss them in broader context. The conclusions recall the main findings and reveal the space for further investigation.

National survey of foodborne viruses in Australian oysters at production.

Science.gov (United States)

Torok, Valeria; Hodgson, Kate; McLeod, Catherine; Tan, Jessica; Malhi, Navreet; Turnbull, Alison

2018-02-01

Internationally human enteric viruses, such as norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), are frequently associated with shellfish related foodborne disease outbreaks, and it has been suggested that acceptable NoV limits based on end-point testing be established for this high risk food group. Currently, shellfish safety is generally managed through the use of indicators of faecal contamination. Between July 2014 and August 2015, a national prevalence survey for NoV and HAV was done in Australian oysters suitable for harvest. Two sampling rounds were undertaken to determine baseline levels of these viruses. Commercial Australian growing areas, represented by 33 oyster production regions in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, were included in the survey. A total of 149 and 148 samples were collected during round one and two of sampling, respectively, and tested for NoV and HAV by quantitative RT-PCR. NoV and HAV were not detected in oysters collected in either sampling round, indicating an estimated prevalence for these viruses in Australian oysters of oysters was consistent with epidemiological evidence, with no oyster-related foodborne viral illness reported during the survey period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (Second Edition

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Nicole Porter

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Reviewed: Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (Second Edition By Deidre Slattery. Clayton South, Australia: CSIRO Publishing, 2015. xvii + 302 pp. AU$ 45.00, US$ 35.95. ISBN 978-1-486-30171-3.

Australian Muslim civil society organisations: Pathways to social inclusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora Shikeen Amath

2015-09-01

Full Text Available There is great interest on issues related to Muslims and Islam; however, a large concentration of the scholarly literature as well as media and political discourses focus predominantly on political issues and actions related to fundamentalism, radicalisation, militancy and terrorism. The dominance of these issues in the discourses does not provide a holistic understanding of Muslims, particularly their role, place and identity as minorities in a Western society. Indeed, we know relatively little about the larger number of Muslim political actors engaged in civil society, especially those involved in creating pathways to social inclusion. Utilising descriptive phenomenology, this paper explores the complex issues of social inclusion and the Australian Muslim communities. Underpinning this discussion is the theory of social capital; as noted by a number of scholars and social policy experts, the theory of social inclusion alone is inadequate and ineffective in creating participation, equality and cohesion. This paper also observes that while many reports and studies provide pragmatic suggestions on how to work towards the social inclusion of Australian Muslims, the concentration on these suggestions tend to focus on how the government can provide these solutions. What is lacking in the literature is the recognition of the Australian Muslim community’s role and agency in initiating and executing the programs needed to address such issues of social exclusion. The 30 unstructured phenomenological interviews demonstrate that Australian MCSOs are proactively engaging with their communities to ensure that they are responding appropriately to these issues. Moreover, they are creating pathways and access for Australian Muslims to better participate, engage in and contribute to mainstream society. In particular, the MCSO actors revealed four themes related to social inclusion: supporting participation in education and training, facilitating participation

Fires in the Australian Capital Territory

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

The height and extent of billowing smoke plumes from bushfires near Canberra, the Australian capital, are illustrated by these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The images were acquired on January 18, 2003. Never before had fires of this magnitude come so close to Australia's capital. Four people lost their lives and over 500 homes were destroyed, mostly in the southwestern suburbs. Australia's famous Mount Stromlo Observatory, located immediately west of the city, was also incinerated by the fires.The top panel portrays a natural-color view from MISR's nadir camera, in which the eastern portion of the Australian Capital Territory is located south of a pale, ephemeral lake in the upper left-hand corner (Lake George). Several smoke plumes originate within the eastern part of the Australian Capital Territory, while the major plumes originate to the west of the image area. The Australian Capital Territory and much of New South Wales are completely obscured by the smoke, which is driven by fierce westerly winds and extends eastward to the coast and over the Pacific Ocean.The lower panel provides a stereoscopically retrieved height field of the clouds and smoke plumes. The greenish areas indicate where smoke plumes extend several kilometers above a bank of patchy stratus clouds below. A few high clouds appear near the bottom of the image. Wind retrievals were excluded from this image in order to generate a smooth and continuous field. Although relative height variations are well-represented here, the inclusion of wind retrievals for this scene reduces the actual cloud height results by 1 to 2 kilometers. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown as dark gray.The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuouslyand every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 16421. The

The Suppression of Ethical Dispositions through Managerial Governmentality: A Habitus Crisis in Australian Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Zipin, Lew; Brennan, Marie

2003-01-01

"Fiscal" and other so-called "crises" in Australian universities are more fundamentally, it is argued in this article, crises of government decision and "governmentality". Using an illustrative "morality tale" drawn from their working knowledge of the Australian university sector, the authors take a…

New Australian sauropods shed light on Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography

Science.gov (United States)

Poropat, Stephen F.; Mannion, Philip D.; Upchurch, Paul; Hocknull, Scott A.; Kear, Benjamin P.; Kundrát, Martin; Tischler, Travis R.; Sloan, Trish; Sinapius, George H. K.; Elliott, Judy A.; Elliott, David A.

2016-01-01

Australian dinosaurs have played a rare but controversial role in the debate surrounding the effect of Gondwanan break-up on Cretaceous dinosaur distribution. Major spatiotemporal gaps in the Gondwanan Cretaceous fossil record, coupled with taxon incompleteness, have hindered research on this effect, especially in Australia. Here we report on two new sauropod specimens from the early Late Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia, that have important implications for Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography. Savannasaurus elliottorum gen. et sp. nov. comprises one of the most complete Cretaceous sauropod skeletons ever found in Australia, whereas a new specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae includes the first ever cranial remains of an Australian sauropod. The results of a new phylogenetic analysis, in which both Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus are recovered within Titanosauria, were used as the basis for a quantitative palaeobiogeographical analysis of macronarian sauropods. Titanosaurs achieved a worldwide distribution by at least 125 million years ago, suggesting that mid-Cretaceous Australian sauropods represent remnants of clades which were widespread during the Early Cretaceous. These lineages would have entered Australasia via dispersal from South America, presumably across Antarctica. High latitude sauropod dispersal might have been facilitated by Albian–Turonian warming that lifted a palaeoclimatic dispersal barrier between Antarctica and South America. PMID:27763598

The Influence of Forums and Multilevel Governance on the Climate Adaptation Practices of Australian Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorraine E. Bates

2013-12-01

Full Text Available To date, there are few regulations and policies relating to climate change in Australia. Uncertainty about the timing, structure, and potential impact of proposed legislation such as a national carbon abatement scheme, is leading to planning delays across the country. To assist with these policy uncertainties, organizations can embed themselves in multilevel governance frameworks that inform, structure, and facilitate strategic development, planning, and action. As part of these networks, organizational representatives also engage in formal and informal forums, a type of interorganizational relationship, which can include industry task forces, policy development committees, interagency groups, and specific climate change committees. Forums constitute an additional level of governance that influences decision making. The patterns of relationships within these multilevel governance frameworks are examined in this paper, with a focus on the forum level of organizational cooperation. Specifically, we investigate the type of forums operating and their role in supporting organizational responses to climate change. A series of interviews and focus groups were conducted in two study areas, the Swan Canning region of Western Australia and the Hunter / Central Coast region of New South Wales. The results indicate that organizations participate in a diverse range of forums. Further, forums appear to play a key role in the everyday business of organizations by enhancing their ability to plan and address a range of issues, including those associated with climate change. In addition the research highlights some of the barriers and drivers for the development and implementation of climate adaptation practices that emerge from forum discussions. For example, a lack of government guidance in interpreting climate change policy was described as a barrier yet access to the knowledge and expertise of participants was highlighted as a potential driver. The paper

Perspective of Australian uncooled IR sensor technology

Science.gov (United States)

Liddiard, Kevin C.

2000-12-01

This paper presents an overview of the development in Australia of resistance bolometer technology and associated uncooled infrared sensors. A summary is given of research achievements, with the aim of placing in historic perspective Australian work in comparison with overseas research and development. Extensive research in this field was carried out at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), Salisbury, South Australia, in collaboration with the Australian microelectronic and electro-optic industries, with supporting research in Australian universities. The DSTO research has a history covering five decades, commencing with simple thin film bolometers employed in radiometric sensors, followed by protracted R&D culminating in development of micromachined focal plane detector arrays for non-imaging sensors and lightweight thermal imagers. DSTO currently maintains a microbolometer processing capability for the purposes of research collaboration and support for commercial initiatives based on patented technology. Expertise in microbolometer design, performance and processing technology has transferred to Electro-optic Sensor Design (EOSD) through a licensing agreement. Contemporary development will be described.

Culture and healthy lifestyles: a qualitative exploration of the role of food and physical activity in three urban Australian Indigenous communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowe, Ruth; Stanley, Rebecca; Probst, Yasmine; McMahon, Anne

2017-08-01

1) To explore the links between Indigenous Australian children's perspectives on culture, and healthy lifestyle behaviours. 2) To provide insight into how to approach the development of a health intervention targeting lifestyle behaviours in Australian Indigenous children. Seven semi-structured focus groups sessions were conducted with Australian Indigenous children aged 5-12 years living on the South Coast of New South Wales. Audio-recordings were transcribed and thematic analyses were conducted and related to principles of grounded theory. Participants had connections to aspects of Australian Indigenous culture that were embedded in their everyday lives. Healthy lifestyle behaviours (such as healthy eating and physical activity) were found to be interconnected with Australian Indigenous culture and positive emotional wellbeing was identified as an important outcome of connecting Australian Indigenous children to cultural practices. Understanding the importance of culture and its role in healthy lifestyles is critical in the development of health interventions for Indigenous populations. Health interventions embedded with Australian Indigenous culture may have potential to improve physical and emotional health within Australian Indigenous communities. However, it is unlikely that a 'one size fits all' approach to health interventions can be taken. © 2017 The Authors.

The Australian Atomic Energy Commission: A case study in Australian science and government

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moyal, A.M.

1975-01-01

No major scientific body in Australia has evoked as much questioning, criticism and speculation as the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, which was established in 1953 and which, 21 years later, still stands poised on the threshold of bringing Australia into the nuclear age. It is argued that the AAEC has not consolidated the goals and purposes which were set for it over two decades ago. This study attempts to answer the following questions: 1) Is the AAEC a viable institution or is it a white elephant; 2) Has it a rationale and a future in the present age; 3) Has it been accountable or has it evolved, expanded, reorganised, changed direction, consumed funds, used and produced talent, and ultimately marked time behind closed political and administrative doors; 4) Why have its work, its accomplishments and failures not been subjected to public scrutiny. (author)

Who's Steering the Ship? National Curriculum Reform and the Re-Shaping of Australian Federalism

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Glenn C.

2016-01-01

This paper explores the repositioning of state curriculum agencies in response to the establishment of the Australian Curriculum and the key national policy organisation responsible for its development: the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). I begin with an analysis of the federal Labor government's role in the…

76 FR 78805 - Regulatory Changes To Implement the United States/Australian Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-20

... Implement the United States/Australian Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation; Corrections AGENCY... the Government of Australia and the Government of the United States of America Concerning Peaceful... action is unnecessary. List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 40 Criminal penalties, Government contracts...

Use of social audits to examine unofficial payments in government health services: experience in South Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Paredes-Solís, Sergio; Andersson, Neil; Ledogar, Robert J; Cockcroft, Anne

2011-12-21

Unofficial payments in health services around the world are widespread and as varied as the health systems in which they occur. We reviewed the main lessons from social audits of petty corruption in health services in South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan), Africa (Uganda and South Africa) and Europe (Baltic States). The social audits varied in purpose and scope. All covered representative sample communities and involved household interviews, focus group discussions, institutional reviews of health facilities, interviews with service providers and discussions with health authorities. Most audits questioned households about views on health services, perceived corruption in the services, and use of government and other health services. Questions to service users asked about making official and unofficial payments, amounts paid, service delivery indicators, and satisfaction with the service. Contextual differences between the countries affected the forms of petty corruption and factors related to it. Most households in all countries held negative views about government health services and many perceived these services as corrupt. There was little evidence that better off service users were more likely to make an unofficial payment, or that making such a payment was associated with better or quicker service; those who paid unofficially to health care workers were not more satisfied with the service. In South Asia, where we conducted repeated social audits, only a minority of households chose to use government health services and their use declined over time in favour of other providers. Focus groups indicated that reasons for avoiding government health services included the need to pay for supposedly free services and the non-availability of medicines in facilities, often perceived as due to diversion of the supplied medicines. Unofficial expenses for medical care represent a disproportionate cost for vulnerable families; the very people who need to make use of supposedly

Use of social audits to examine unofficial payments in government health services: experience in South Asia, Africa, and Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paredes-Solís Sergio

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Unofficial payments in health services around the world are widespread and as varied as the health systems in which they occur. We reviewed the main lessons from social audits of petty corruption in health services in South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Africa (Uganda and South Africa and Europe (Baltic States. Methods The social audits varied in purpose and scope. All covered representative sample communities and involved household interviews, focus group discussions, institutional reviews of health facilities, interviews with service providers and discussions with health authorities. Most audits questioned households about views on health services, perceived corruption in the services, and use of government and other health services. Questions to service users asked about making official and unofficial payments, amounts paid, service delivery indicators, and satisfaction with the service. Results Contextual differences between the countries affected the forms of petty corruption and factors related to it. Most households in all countries held negative views about government health services and many perceived these services as corrupt. There was little evidence that better off service users were more likely to make an unofficial payment, or that making such a payment was associated with better or quicker service; those who paid unofficially to health care workers were not more satisfied with the service. In South Asia, where we conducted repeated social audits, only a minority of households chose to use government health services and their use declined over time in favour of other providers. Focus groups indicated that reasons for avoiding government health services included the need to pay for supposedly free services and the non-availability of medicines in facilities, often perceived as due to diversion of the supplied medicines. Conclusions Unofficial expenses for medical care represent a disproportionate cost for

The South Australian Allied Health Workforce survey: helping to fill the evidence gap in primary health workforce planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitford, Deirdre; Smith, Tony; Newbury, Jonathan

2012-01-01

There is a lack of detailed evidence about the allied health workforce to inform proposed health care reforms. The South Australian Allied Health Workforce (SAAHW) survey collected data about the demographic characteristics, employment, education and recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in South Australia. The SAAHW questionnaire was widely distributed and 1539 responses were received. The average age of the sample was 40 years; males were significantly older than females, the latter making up 82% of respondents. Three-quarters of the sample worked in the city; 60% worked full time and the remainder in part-time, casual or locum positions. 'Work-life balance' was the most common attraction to respondents' current jobs and 'Better career prospects' the most common reason for intending to leave. Practice in a rural location was influenced by rural background and rural experience during training. A greater proportion of Generation Y (1982-2000) respondents intended to leave within 2 years than Generation X (1961-81) or Baby Boomers (1943-60). Most respondents were satisfied with their job, although some reported lack of recognition of their knowledge and skills. Systematic, robust allied health workforce data are required for integrated and sustainable primary health care delivery.

Governance responses to hacking in the banking sector of South Africa : an exploratory study

OpenAIRE

2013-01-01

D.Comm. (Auditing) Organisations today are critically dependent on IT to enable business operations and ensure competitiveness in a growing international marketplace. At the same time, IT also introduces significant risks, such as hacking. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for mitigating IT risk as a component of business risk. This task is included in its corporate governance responsibilities, which, in the South African context, is underpinned by the King Code of Corporate...

Enhancing User Access to Australian marine data - the Australian Ocean Data Network

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, R.; Mancini, S.; Blain, P. J.

2017-12-01

The Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is a national project funded by the Australian government established to deliver ocean observations to the marine and climate science community. Now in its 10th year its mission is to undertake systematic and sustained observations and to turn them into data, products and analyses that can be freely used and reused for broad societal benefits. As IMOS has matured as an observing system the expectation of the system's availability and reliability has also increased and IMOS is now seen as delivering `operational' information; it does this through the Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN). The AODN runs its services in the commercial cloud service Amazon Web Services. This has enabled the AODN to improve the system architecture, utilizing more advanced features like object storage (S3 - Simple Storage Service) and autoscaling features, and introducing new checking and logging procedures in a pipeline approach. This has improved data availability and resilience while protecting against human errors in data handling and providing a more efficient ingestion process. Many of these features are available through AODN to the wider Australian marine and science community enabling the `family' of AODN to grow, thereby enabling rapid access to an increasing collection of ocean observations.

Good governance and the implementation of national health insurance in the public health sector: A case of South Africa

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Melody Brauns

2015-09-01

Full Text Available For years it has been argued that implementation failure is one of the main reasons why policies do not yield the results expected. In South Africa, a version of this argument, which often features, is that good policies are drawn up but then not implemented. Government failure is a reality. Just as corporations survive according to whether they make good decisions, so to governments fall or are re-elected on whether they make good decisions. General argument in governance literature is that a wide variety of developments have undermined the capacity of governments to control events within the nation state. As a consequence the state can no longer assume a monopoly of expertise or of the resources to govern.

Australian Indigenous Higher Education: Politics, Policy and Representation

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Katie; Wilks, Judith

2015-01-01

The growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in Australian higher education from 1959 to the present is notable statistically, but below population parity. Distinct patterns in government policy-making and programme development, inconsistent funding and political influences, together with Indigenous representation during the…

The Australian model of immunization advice and vaccine funding.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Terry M

2010-04-19

The Australian Government has implemented new arrangements for public funding of vaccines over the past 5 years. By utilising the standard Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) application process, whether for funding under the National Immunisation Program Schedule (NIP) or under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), a predictable and transparent process for vaccine funding recommendations has been established. This process uses the high-level technical resources available through the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) to ensure that both vaccine manufacturers and the PBAC are optimally informed about all relevant aspects of population benefits and delivery of vaccines. ATAGI has a long-standing and mutually beneficial dialogue with State and Territory Governments, providers, and vaccine manufacturers to ensure that pipeline awareness, supply issues, and all relevant scientific and clinical details are well understood. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Australian nuclear safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerin, J.C.

1988-01-01

The Australian Government considers that allegations made by the West German magazine - Der Spiegel in its January and February 1988 editions, flow from a lack of understanding of the complexities of international trade in nuclear materials, confusion between internal and international flag swaps and failure to comprehend the equivalence principle used in nuclear materials accounting. The Ministerial statement briefly outlines these issues and concludes that there is no evidence that any material subject to Australia's bilateral safeguards agreement has been diverted from peaceful uses or that Australia's safeguard requirements have been breached

Entrepreneurial orientation and corporate governance structures at the firm level in the South African oil and gas industry

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Vincent B. Molokwu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Corporate governance systems (CGS have been observed as one of the most important structures and mechanisms that regulate the relationships between executives and shareholders. By having well-defined and established CGS, company board members and executives are able to shape company vision and increase managerial commitment towards formulating strategies that espouse an entrepreneurial orientation (EO. Firms with high levels of EO tend to be innovative and encourage creative initiatives in new products and technology developments. Research purpose: In an emerging economy such as South Africa, one of the primary goals of an organisation is growth and good governance, which can be achieved through wellgoverned structures and continuous innovation in the face of challenges. This study identified potential links between the multidimensional constructs of CGS and EO at the firm level in the South African oil and gas industry. Motivation for the study: One of the greatest challenges faced by organisations when implementing CGS is to ensure compliance. Research design, approach and method: Board members and senior decision-makers were surveyed in the South African oil and gas industry, using a structured questionnaire. A series of correlational analyses were used to determine the strength of relationships between the dimensions of EO and CGS. Main findings: By drawing extensively on existing theory on EO, this study found that the different dimensions of CGS have a significant and positive relationship with each of the EO dimensions – innovation, risk-taking and proactiveness. Practical/managerial implications: Corporate boards supportive of entrepreneurship must provide appropriate reward systems, top management support, explicit goals and appropriate organisational values which signal to employees that entrepreneurial behaviour action is desirable. Practitioners should scrutinise their governance structures in their organisations to

Entrepreneurial orientation and corporate governance structures at the firm level in the South African oil and gas industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent B. Molokwu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Corporate governance systems (CGS have been observed as one of the most important structures and mechanisms that regulate the relationships between executives and shareholders. By having well-defined and established CGS, company board members and executives are able to shape company vision and increase managerial commitment towards formulating strategies that espouse an entrepreneurial orientation (EO. Firms with high levels of EO tend to be innovative and encourage creative initiatives in new products and technology developments.Research purpose: In an emerging economy such as South Africa, one of the primary goals of an organisation is growth and good governance, which can be achieved through wellgoverned structures and continuous innovation in the face of challenges. This study identified potential links between the multidimensional constructs of CGS and EO at the firm level in the South African oil and gas industry.Motivation for the study: One of the greatest challenges faced by organisations when implementing CGS is to ensure compliance.Research design, approach and method: Board members and senior decision-makers were surveyed in the South African oil and gas industry, using a structured questionnaire. A series of correlational analyses were used to determine the strength of relationships between the dimensions of EO and CGS.Main findings: By drawing extensively on existing theory on EO, this study found that the different dimensions of CGS have a significant and positive relationship with each of the EO dimensions – innovation, risk-taking and proactiveness.Practical/managerial implications: Corporate boards supportive of entrepreneurship must provide appropriate reward systems, top management support, explicit goals and appropriate organisational values which signal to employees that entrepreneurial behaviour action is desirable. Practitioners should scrutinise their governance structures in their organisations to ensure

Influence of the Anomalous Patterns of the Mascarene and Australian Highs on Precipitation during the Prerainy Season in South China

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Xue Han

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The authors investigate the features of precipitation during the prerainy season in South China (PSCPRS and the atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere (SH, which is expected to influence the PSCPRS significantly. The Morlet wavelet method revealed that the PSCPRS has significant interannual variability, especially in its quasi-biennial oscillation. The PSCPRS exhibits a significant monsoonal precipitation pattern. Using singular value decomposition (SVD and composite analysis, the anomalous characteristics of SH atmospheric circulations and their impacts on the PSCPRS are studied. The results reveal that eastward movements or extensions of the Mascarene high (MH and Australian high (AH, which have quasi-baroclinic geopotential height structures in the lower and middle troposphere, are the most significant factors affecting the PSCPRS. Their impacts on the PSCPRS anomalies are further studied using the index east of the MH (IEMH and index east of the AH (IEAH. The IEMH and IEAH have notable significant positive correlations with the PSCPRS. When either the IEMH or IEAH is stronger (weaker, more (less rainfall occurs during the prerainy season in South China.

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in pregnant Australian Indigenous women residing in rural and remote New South Wales: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mah, Beth; Weatherall, Loretta; Burrows, Julie; Blackwell, Caroline C; Gwynn, Josephine; Wadhwa, Pathik; Lumbers, Eugenie R; Smith, Roger; Rae, Kym M

2017-10-01

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for many women. There is ample evidence of numerous physical and mental health inequities for Indigenous Australians. For those Indigenous women who are pregnant, it is established that there is a higher incidence of poor physical perinatal outcomes when compared with non-Indigenous Australians. However, little evidence exists that examines stressful events and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in pregnant women who are members of this community. To quantify the rates of stressful events and PTSD symptoms in pregnant Indigenous women. One hundred and fifty rural and remote Indigenous women were invited to complete a survey during each trimester of their pregnancy. The survey measures were the stressful life events and the Impact of Events Scale. Extremely high rates of PTSD symptoms were reported by participants. Approximately 40% of this group exhibited PTSD symptoms during their pregnancy with mean score 33.38 (SD = 14.37) significantly higher than a study of European victims of crisis, including terrorism attacks (20.6, SD = 18.5). The extreme levels of PTSD symptoms found in the women participating in this study are likely to result in negative implications for both mother and infant. An urgent response must be mounted at government, health, community development and research levels to address these findings. Immediate attention needs to focus on the development of interventions to address the high levels of PTSD symptoms that pregnant Australian Indigenous women experience. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Australian clinical dosimetry service at ARPANSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, Abel; Williams, Ivan

2010-01-01

Full text: Earlier this year, the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council accepted the Federal Government's offer to fund the establishment and operation for 3 years of an Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS). The service will be located within the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency in Yallambie, Victoria and will commence operation at the beginning of 20II. The purpose of the ACDS is to make available independent checks and auditing services to all Australian radiotherapy services. These services will range form postal audits to site visits, and include treatment dose assessments using phantoms (Level III audits). There will be a Clinical Advisory Group to oversee the development of the service, so the ACPSEM and other professional groups will playa key role in developing the ACDS. In consultation with radiotherapy facilities, the ACDS will establish an Audit Panel which will be made up of local staff to assist with on site work and minimise travel costs. The results of all measurements made by the ACDS will be confi dential: only de-identified data would be publicly reported. The service will be free to participating facilities in the first 3 years. An independent review will be conducted in the third year to determine the ongoing arrangements for the service.

Distorted governance: A case of the municipal unit in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Local government community participation units or departments ineffectively and inefficiently operate based on the directive from their political organisations instead of achieving the objectives of the municipality as per the Integrated Development Plan (IDP. This has resulted in the marginalisation of the local communities on their participation in municipal governance which also has been exacerbated by the employment of employees based on political competencies rather than the unit’s core business requirements. On the backdrop of the above, this study aims to reveal municipal operational hindrances that prevent local communities to participate effectively in the eThekwini Municipality governance as permitted by South African local government legislation. This stated background has necessitated the study to adopt a qualitative approach whereby non-standardized interviews were conducted by the researcher to the sample size of 23. The findings of the study were analysed using NVivo software (version 10. The study revealed an extreme percentage (39% of activities performed by Community Participation and Action Support Unit (CP&AS which were based on coordinating unclear activities. Whereas, 22% were on capacity development of local communities, 12% on communication with internal and external stakeholders, 8% on monitoring and evaluation, 5% on policies, and 3% on partnership with other departments and spheres of government and elected officials and research respectively. The unbalanced and unclear activities performed by the respondents will assist the municipal decision-makers to understand the core causes of poor service delivery as it lies on the failure of the municipal officials to concentrate on their core business. This study contributes to the decision-makers’ understanding of the implications of using the municipal resources to advance political activities, consequently disadvantaging the alleged indigent local communities. The

Efficiency of Australian Technical and Further Education Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Fieger, Peter; Villano, Renato; Cooksey, Ray

2016-01-01

Budgetary constraints on the public purse have led Australian Federal and State governments to focus increasingly on the efficiency of public institutions, including Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. In this study, we define efficiency as the relationship between financial and administrative inputs and educational outputs. We…

Australian Engineering Educators' Attitudes towards Aboriginal Cultures and Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfinch, Thomas; Prpic, Juliana Kaya; Jolly, Lesley; Leigh, Elyssebeth; Kennedy, Jade

2017-01-01

In Australia, representation of Aboriginal populations within the engineering profession is very low despite participation targets set by Government departments, professional bodies and Universities. Progressing the Aboriginal inclusion agenda within Australian Engineering Education requires a clearer understanding of engineering educators'…

Becoming-Speckled Warbler: Re/Creating Australian Natural History Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Alistair

2011-01-01

The speckled warbler and other woodland birds of south-eastern Australia have declined dramatically since European settlement; many species are at risk of becoming locally and/or nationally extinct. Coincidently, Australian environmental education research of the last decade has largely been silent on the development of pedagogy that reflects the…

The protection of environmental interests through corporate governance: A South African company law perspective.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony O Nwafor

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The quest to maximize profits by corporate administrators usually leaves behind an unhealthy environment. This trend impacts negatively on long term interests of the company and retards societal sustainable development. While there are in South Africa pieces of legislation which are geared at protecting the environment, the Companies Act which is the principal legislation that regulates the operations of the company is silent on this matter. The paper argues that the common law responsibility of the directors to protect the interests of the company as presently codified by the Companies Act should be developed by the courts in South Africa, in the exercise of their powers under the Constitution, to include the interests of the environment. This would guarantee the enforcement of the environmental interests within the confines of the Companies Act as an issue of corporate governance.

Australian Lesbian Teachers--A Reflection of Homophobic Harassment of High School Teachers in New South Wales Government Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferfolja, Tania

1998-01-01

Examines the homophobic harassment of lesbian teachers working in government high schools in Sydney (Australia). The experiences of six lesbian teachers show that harassment based on sexual orientation is often an invisible issue in schools, as is homosexuality in general. Recommendations are made for teaching about homosexual tolerance. (SLD)

Markets, Distance Education, and Australian Higher Education

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Ted Nunan

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The paper argues that the Australian university system is unstable. There will be significant change as government implements its reform agenda and even more radical change if it moves to new deregulation. The role of distance education in university education needs to be analyzed against this ‘market’ agenda of government in terms of characteristics of markets and market behavior. After a scan of the current role, the paper looks at two scenarios (regulated and deregulated for distance education in university teaching and learning in Australia.

Learning about knowledge management for improving environmental impact assessment in a government agency: the Western Australian experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, Luis Enrique; Morrison-Saunders, Angus

2011-09-01

How does knowledge management (KM) by a government agency responsible for environmental impact assessment (EIA) potentially contribute to better environmental assessment and management practice? Staff members at government agencies in charge of the EIA process are knowledge workers who perform judgement-oriented tasks highly reliant on individual expertise, but also grounded on the agency's knowledge accumulated over the years. Part of an agency's knowledge can be codified and stored in an organizational memory, but is subject to decay or loss if not properly managed. The EIA agency operating in Western Australia was used as a case study. Its KM initiatives were reviewed, knowledge repositories were identified and staff surveyed to gauge the utilisation and effectiveness of such repositories in enabling them to perform EIA tasks. Key elements of KM are the preparation of substantive guidance and spatial information management. It was found that treatment of cumulative impacts on the environment is very limited and information derived from project follow-up is not properly captured and stored, thus not used to create new knowledge and to improve practice and effectiveness. Other opportunities for improving organizational learning include the use of after-action reviews. The learning about knowledge management in EIA practice gained from Western Australian experience should be of value to agencies worldwide seeking to understand where best to direct their resources for their own knowledge repositories and environmental management practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spicing up your advice for South Asian and Anglo-Australians with type 2 diabetes and CVD: Do cultural constructions of diet matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Sabrina S; Teede, Helena; Aroni, Rosalie

2018-01-01

South Asians are a growing migrant population, both globally and in Australia. This group are at higher risk for both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this qualitative study was to compare dietary practices of South Asians, n = 41 (Indian, n = 25; Sri Lankan, n = 16) and Anglo-Australians, n = 16, with these conditions, using semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings suggest that both groups had a high level of awareness of dietary practices necessary for optimum disease management, both prior to and post diagnosis. Bi-directional effects of migration were noted in the dietary practices of both groups suggesting hybrid diets are evident in Australia. A key barrier to implementing dietary changes highlighted by both groups of participants was a lack of specific, timely and detailed dietary advice from clinicians. Both groups expressed that advice should be repeated and reinforced throughout the course of their disease. In addition, South Asian participants wanted more culturally relevant advice. Clinicians providing dietary advice need to recognise that preferences for staple food items are resistant to change and may affect adherence. Acculturation was evident in the dietary practices of the South Asian participants. Nevertheless, many maintained traditional food practices which were tied to their cultural identity. It is recommended that clinicians consider these factors when offering advice. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Australian mineral industry annual review for 1982

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

The Australian mineral industry annual review records the activities and development of the Australian mineral industry and reports production, consumption, treatment, trade, prices, new developments, exploration and resources for mineral commodities including fuels, and summarises equivalent developments abroad. The present volume reviews activities and developments in 1982. Part 1 (General Review) - after briefly surveying the world mineral industry, summarises developments in the Australian mineral industry as a whole, under the headings: the industry in the national economy; important recent developments; production; overseas trade; prices; exploration expenditure; investment; income tax; royalties; structural data; wages and salaries; industrial disputes; and government assistance, legislation and controls. Part 2 (Commodity Review) - covers industrial mineral commodities, from abrasives to zirconium. Part 3 (Mining Census) - tabulates statistics extracted from the mining census, together with some mineral processing statistics from the manufacturing census. Part 4 (Miscellaneous) - tabulates quantum and value data on mineral output provided by State departments of mines and their equivalents.

The value of solar: Prices and output from distributed photovoltaic generation in South Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maine, Tony; Chapman, Paul

2007-01-01

The Australian government's Solar Cities Program sees great value in so-called 'cost-reflective pricing', code for valuing solar at pool prices. We test that proposition in South Australia where pool prices and insolation are often high and we show that there were few days in 2004 when the pool price gives better outcomes than if the solar is valued at the regulated and fixed, so-called standing contract price. We also find that the illustrative day used in the Solar Cities Program literature to promote the notion of cost-reflective pricing is highly atypical. Finally, we consider ways in which the incentive to install distributed photovoltaic generation might be improved

Contribution of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Governance in South Mediterranean

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Said Chaouki CHAKOUR

2014-09-01

Full Text Available When studying fishing activities in south Mediterranean, particularly in Algeria, we face the particular case of coastal territory. The high dependence of human activities on marine territories and their resources is always related to the high level of conflicts, between fishing actors and other stakeholders, generated by some conservation projects. The aim of this paper is to highlight and illustrate the approach of MPAs (Marine Protected Areas governance and their role in conserving biodiversity, in order to clarify their economic, social and environmental impacts on human activities such as fishing. This paper defends the flowing thesis: in the long term, protection could reduce conflicts, contribute to sustainable management of fisheries and improve the welfare of fishers’ community.

Young people's comparative recognition and recall of an Australian Government Sexual Health Campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Megan S C; Gold, Judy; Bowring, Anna L; Pedrana, Alisa E; Hellard, Margaret E

2015-05-01

In 2009, the Australian Government's National Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program launched a multi-million dollar sexual health campaign targeting young people. We assessed campaign recognition among a community sample of young people. Individuals aged 16-29 years self-completed a questionnaire at a music festival. Participants were asked whether they recognised the campaign image and attempted to match the correct campaign message. Recognition of two concurrent campaigns, GlaxoSmithKline's The Facts genital herpes campaign (targeting young women) and the Drama Downunder campaign (targeting gay men) were assessed simultaneously. Among 471 participants, just 29% recognised the National Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program campaign. This compared to 52% recognising The Facts and 27% recognising Drama Downunder. Of 134 who recognised the National Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program campaign, 27% correctly recalled the campaign messages compared to 61% of those recognising the Facts campaign, and 25% of those recognising the Drama Downunder campaign. There was no difference in National Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program campaign recognition by gender or age. Campaign recognition and message recall of the National Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program campaign was comparatively low. Future mass media sexual health campaigns targeting young people can aim for higher recognition and recall rates than that achieved by the National Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program campaign. Alternative distribution channels and message styles should be considered to increase these rates. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Evaluation of Corporate Governance Measures: An Application to the Australian Higher Education SectorEvaluation of Corporate Governance Measures: An Application to the Australian Higher Education Sector

OpenAIRE

Chitra De Silva; Anona Armstrong

2014-01-01

Governance has emerged as a major concern in the higher education sector. Although evaluation of performance of governance is widely used in the private and public sectors, little attention has been given to the assessment of good governance practices in university contexts. The purpose of this paper was to describe the changes in government policy associated with the introduction of Governance Protocols that have impacted on the higher education sector and to answer the research question: do...

Internal Audit: Does it Enhance Governance in the Australian Public University Sector?

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher, Joe

2015-01-01

This study seeks to confirm if internal audit, a corporate control process, is functioning effectively in Australian public universities. The study draws on agency theory, published literature and best-practice guidelines to develop an internal audit evaluation framework. A survey instrument is thereafter developed from the framework and used as a…

The Australian Centre for Minesite Rehabilitation Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, L.C.

1994-01-01

The Australian Centre for Minesite Rehabilitation Research (ACMRR) is a joint venture between the Australian mining industry through the Australian Mineral Industries Research Association Ltd. (AMIRA) and three of the organizations working most actively in this area in Australia: CSIRO Minesite Rehabilitation Research Program; University of Queensland Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation; and Curtin University Mulga Research Centre. The ACMRR was established in July 1993 to provide a national framework to conduct Strategic Research into minesite rehabilitation. It is an industry led and funded initiative. The Goals of the Centre include: to conduct strategic research into minesite rehabilitation to provide sustainable environmental solutions which are acceptable to industry, government and the community; to be recognized as a center of excellence undertaking commissioned research on minesite rehabilitation in an independent and thorough manner; to provide scientific and technological foundations to facilitate industry and government in setting acceptable standards; to act as networking and communications focus; and to enhance education and training in minesite rehabilitation. Strategic Research Programs in: Water Systems--downstream surface and groundwater quality; Land--the long-term behavior and stability of constructed landforms; Ecosystems--the long-term sustainability of constructed landforms; Waste--the long-term treatment and disposal of waste products; will allow the ACMRR to achieve these goals through specific research projects in these areas, developed with industry sponsors. This paper will discuss their progress to date, research projects underway, and plans for the future

Providers' knowledge, attitude and dispensing practices of e-pills in government dispensaries of South district in delhi, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishore, Vertika; Misro, Man M; Nandan, Deoki

2010-01-01

South Delhi is one of the well developed districts in the capital with best public health care facilities. Knowledge, attitude and dispensing practices of emergency contraceptive pills (E-pills) were assessed among health care providers of government dispensaries in South Delhi. A descriptive epidemiological study. Both medical and paramedical (n = 428) providers in 63 government health care facilities were interviewed between August to December 2007 using a semi-structured interview schedule. Among the different categories of the providers, medical officers were observed to be most knowledgeable about E-pills and the pharmacists were the least. The correct prescribed dose of E-pill was known only to 32% of the providers while 49% knew about its right time of intake. Misconceptions and apprehensions for promoting its use were very much prevalent even among medical officers as majority felt that open access to E-pills would increase promiscuity. The dispensing practice of providers was found positively (P pills.

Striking a Balance Between Ethics and ICT Governance

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Graeme Pye

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Ethics and Information Communication Technology (ICT Governance both have their place in today’s business organisations, but can their practical applications present an ethical ambiguity for the IT professional employed within the business organisation? The guidelines contained within various codes of ethics recommend principles regarding the ethical behaviour of individual IT professionals. In contrast, IT Governance as outlined in the new Australian Standard for Corporate Governance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT provides ICT governance advice for business. This paper explores the difference between these viewpoints.

A qualitative analysis of facilities maintenance - a school governance function in South Africa

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M I Xaba

2012-01-01

Full Text Available I analysed school facilities maintenance, a school governance function in South Africa. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 principals and three deputy principals as coordinators of this function at their schools. The interviews were purposively and conveniently selected to gather data regarding school facilities maintenance and gain insight into the challenges this function presents to schools and their governing bodies. Findings indicate that schools generally do not have organisational structures for planned facilities maintenance, nor do they have policies on facilities maintenance. Evidence of facilities maintenance at schools mainly relates to concerns with facilities repairs, (mostly "as the need arises" and general campus cleanliness; mostly with emergency and corrective forms of maintenance as opposed to crucial preventive maintenance. Therefore, there is a need for interim facilities maintenance committees and, in the long term, a whole-school approach to facilities maintenance that makes facilities maintenance a strategic lever for school functionality.

Indonesian And Australian Tax Policy Implementation In Food And Agriculture Industry

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Hanggoro Pamungkas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tax policy is one of the most important policy in consideration of investment development in certain industry. Research by Newlon (1987, Swenson (1994 and Hines (1996 concluded that tax rate is one of the most important thing considered by investors in a foreign direct investment. One of tax policy could be used to attract foreign direct investment is income tax incentives. The attractiveness of income tax incentives to a foreign direct investment is as much as the attractiveness to a domestic investment (Anwar and Mulyadi, 2012. In this paper, we have conducted a study of income tax incentives in food and agriculture industry; where we conduct a thorough study of income tax incentives and corporate performance in Indonesian and Australian food and agriculture industry. Our research show that there is a significant influence of income tax incentives to corporate performance. Based on our study, we conclude that the significant influence of income tax incentives to Indonesian corporate performance somewhat in a higher degree than the Australian peers. We have also concluded that Indonesian government provide a relatively more interesting income tax incentives compare to Australian government. However, an average method of net income –a method applied in Australia– could be considered by Indonesian government to avoid a market price fluctuation in this industry. 

South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, D.

1990-01-01

This paper reports that South Africa's main reason for entering the international nuclear market is, and always has been, to sell its uranium abroad. From 1939-45 South Africa took part in the war against Nazi Germany, and the South African government of the time sought to help the Allied war effort in all ways that were practical. Later, during the Cold War, it tried to help build up the West's nuclear arsenal. In 1944, the British government secretly asked General Smuts---prime minister of South Africa since 1939 and a member of Churchill's War Cabinet---to survey South Africa's deposits of uranium. The survey, carried out with U.S. and British help, showed that the deposits were large, generally low-grade, but, in most cases, associated with gold and therefore could be profitably mined. In 1951, South Africa became a significant producer, with lucrative contracts for the sale of all its output to the U.S.-U.K.-Canada Joint Development Agency and one of the three main suppliers to the U.S. nuclear weapons program. In time, government controls eased and uranium production and marketing became a purely commercial operation

A new direction for water management? Indigenous nation building as a strategy for river health

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Steve Hemming

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Indigenous involvement in Australian water management is conventionally driven by a top-down approach by nonIndigenous government agencies, that asks "how do we engage Indigenous people?" and has culminated in the ineffective "consult" and "service delivery" processes evident in mainstream water management planning. This is a hopeful paper that identifies the critical importance of a "nation-based" approach for effective Indigenous engagement in water planning and policy through the work undertaken by the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority (NRA in the Murray Futures program. The NRA is an Indigenous government in the "settled-south" of Australia. Over past decades, the NRA has developed a range of political technologies that act as tools for redeveloping Ngarrindjeri Nationhood after colonial disempowerment and dispossession. These tools enable better collaboration with nonIndigenous governments, especially in natural resource management policy and practice. In turn, this has better enabled the NRA to exercise a decision-making and planning authority over the lands and waters in its jurisdiction, therefore, more effectively exercising its ongoing duty of care as Country. This paper presents a case study of the Sugar Shack Complex Management Plan, codeveloped by the NRA and the South Australian Government in 2015, to demonstrate the benefits that accrue when Indigenous nations are resourced as authorities responsible for reframing water management and planning approaches to facilitate the equitable collaboration of Indigenous and nonIndigenous worldviews. As a marker of the success of this strategy, the Ngarrindjeri Yarluwar-Ruwe Program, in partnership with the South Australian government, recently won the Australian Riverprize 2015 for delivering excellence in Australian river management.

Economic Feasibility of Renewable Electricity Generation Systems for Local Government Office: Evaluation of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in South Korea

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Eunil Park

2017-01-01

Full Text Available While environmental and energy concerns have become global issues, the government of South Korea has made notable efforts and formulated plans for the diffusion of renewable energy generation facilities for the nation’s public and governmental institutions. Accordingly, Jeju Island has become one of the most promising locations for utilizing renewable energy resources. This study aims to propose potential configurations for renewable energy generation facilities (mainly solar and wind energy facilities in response to the electricity demand of the main local governmental offices of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The study utilizes the hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources software to simulate two optimized configurations for generation at a cost of energy of $0.306 per kWh (independent and $0.204 per kWh (grid-connected with 100% renewable fraction for the island. The implications of the simulation results and limitations of the study are discussed.

Three Australian whistleblowing sagas: lessons for internal and external regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Faunce, Thomas A; Bolsin, Stephen N C

2004-07-05

The protracted and costly investigations into Camden and Campbelltown hospitals (New South Wales), The Canberra Hospital (Australian Capital Territory), and King Edward Memorial Hospital (Western Australia) recently uncovered significant problems with quality and safety at these institutions. Each investigation arose after whistleblowers alerted politicians directly, having failed to resolve the problems using existing intra-institutional structures. None of the substantiated problems had been uncovered or previously resolved by extensive accreditation or national safety and quality processes; in each instance, the problems were exacerbated by a poor institutional culture of self-regulation, error reporting or investigation. Even after substantiation of their allegations, the whistleblowers, who included staff specialists, administrators and nurses, received little respect and support from their institutions or professions. Increasing legislative protections indicate the role of whistleblowers must now be formally acknowledged and incorporated as a "last resort" component in clinical-governance structures. Portable digital technology, if adequately funded and institutionally supported, may help to transform the conscience-based activity of whistleblowing into a culture of self-reporting, linked to personal and professional development.

Australian uranium exports: nuclear issues and the policy process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trood, R.B.

1983-01-01

The subject is discussed as follows: general introduction; formulation of uranium policy (the public debate; the Ranger Enquiry into all environmental aspects of a proposal by the AAEC and Ranger Uranium Mines to develop certain uranium deposits in the Northern Territory of Australia; the Government's decision); issues (non-proliferation and uranium safeguards policy; uranium enrichment in Australia; government involvement in uranium development; U development and environmental protection; U development and the Australian aborigines); conclusions. (U.K.)

Towards the identification of plant and animal binders on Australian stone knives.

Science.gov (United States)

Blee, Alisa J; Walshe, Keryn; Pring, Allan; Quinton, Jamie S; Lenehan, Claire E

2010-07-15

There is limited information regarding the nature of plant and animal residues used as adhesives, fixatives and pigments found on Australian Aboriginal artefacts. This paper reports the use of FTIR in combination with the chemometric tools principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering (HC) for the analysis and identification of Australian plant and animal fixatives on Australian stone artefacts. Ten different plant and animal residues were able to be discriminated from each other at a species level by combining FTIR spectroscopy with the chemometric data analysis methods, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering (HC). Application of this method to residues from three broken stone knives from the collections of the South Australian Museum indicated that two of the handles of knives were likely to have contained beeswax as the fixative whilst Spinifex resin was the probable binder on the third. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Critical Investigation of the Relevance and Potential of IDPS as a Local Governance Instrument for Pursuing Social Justice in South Africa

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Oliver Njuh Fuo

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Unlike the situation in the past, when local government’s role was limited to service delivery, local government is now constitutionally mandated to play an expanded developmental role. As a “co-responsible” sphere of government, local government is obliged to contribute towards realising the transformative constitutional mandate aimed at social justice. South African scholars and jurists share the view that social justice is primarily concerned with the eradication of poverty and extreme inequalities in access to basic services, and aims to ensure that poor people command sufficient material resources to facilitate their equal participation in socio-political life. In order to enable municipalities to fulfil their broad constitutional mandate, the system of integrated development planning (IDPs came into effect in South Africa in 2000. Each municipality is obliged to design, adopt and implement an integrated development plan in order to achieve its expanded constitutional mandate. The IDP is considered to be the chief legally prescribed governance instrument for South African municipalities. The purpose of this article is to explore and critically investigate the relevance and potential of IDPs in contributing towards the achievement of social justice in South Africa. This article argues inter alia that the multitude of sectors that converge in an IDP makes it directly relevant and gives it enormous potential to contribute towards social justice because, depending on the context, municipalities could include and implement strategies that specifically respond to diverse areas of human need. In this regard, the legal and policy frameworks for IDPs provide a structured scheme that could be used by municipalities to prioritise and meet the basic needs of especially the poor. Despite its potential, it is argued that the ability of IDPs to respond to the basic needs of the poor is largely constrained by a series of implementation challenges

CareTrack Kids—part 2. Assessing the appropriateness of the healthcare delivered to Australian children: study protocol for a retrospective medical record review

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Tamara D; Hibbert, Peter D; Mealing, Nicole; Wiles, Louise K; Jaffe, Adam; White, Les; Cowell, Christopher T; Runciman, William B; Goldstein, Stan; Hallahan, Andrew R; Wakefield, John G; Murphy, Elisabeth; Lau, Annie; Wheaton, Gavin; Williams, Helena M; Hughes, Clifford; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

Introduction Australian and international clinical practice guidelines are available for common paediatric conditions. Yet there is evidence that there are substantial variations between the guidelines, recommendations (appropriate care) and the care delivered. This paper describes a study protocol to determine the appropriateness of the healthcare delivered to Australian children for 16 common paediatric conditions in acute and primary healthcare settings. Methods and analysis A random sample of 6000–8000 medical records representing a cross-section of the Australian paediatric population will be reviewed for appropriateness of care against a set of indicators within three Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia) using multistage, stratified sampling. Medical records of children aged <16 years who presented with at least one of the study conditions during 2012 and 2013 will be reviewed. Ethics and dissemination Human Research Ethics Committee approvals have been received from the Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service and Women's and Children's Hospital Network (South Australia). An application is under review for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. The authors will submit the results of the study to relevant journals and offer oral presentations to researchers, clinicians and policymakers at national and international conferences. PMID:25854977

Indigenous Australians, Intellectual Disability and Incarceration: A Confluence of Rights Violations

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Claire E. Brolan

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This article reviews the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with intellectual disability in the Australian prison system through a human rights lens. There is an information gap on this group of Australian prisoners in the health and disability literature and the multi-disciplinary criminal law and human rights law literature. This article will consider the context of Indigenous imprisonment in Australia and examine the status of prisoner health in that country, as well as the status of the health and wellbeing of prisoners with intellectual disability. It will then specifically explore the health, wellbeing and impact of imprisonment on Indigenous Australians with intellectual disability, and highlight how intersectional rights deficits (including health and human rights deficits causally impact the ability of Indigenous Australians with intellectual disability to access due process, equal recognition and justice in the criminal justice and prison system. A central barrier to improving intersectional and discriminatory landscapes relating to health, human rights and justice for Indigenous Australian inmates with intellectual disability, and prisoners with intellectual disability more broadly in the Australian context, is the lack of sufficient governance and accountability mechanisms (including Indigenous-led mechanisms to enforce the operationalisation of consistent, transparent, culturally responsive, rights-based remedies.

Views from the Frontline: A critical assessment of local risk governance in South Africa

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Doret Botha

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In 2005 the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction introduced the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action’ (HFA aimed at mainstreaming disaster risk reduction. Subsequently, the ‘Global Network for Disaster Reduction’ (GNDR was formed to support the implementation of the HFA. The GNDR initiated a country-based, international research project called ‘Views from the Frontline’ (VFL in order to measure progress at local level in terms of compliance with the HFA. The VFL 2011 project focused on local risk governance, which is critical for effective implementation of policy and provision of resources at grassroots level. This article provides insight into the findings for South Africa. The project made use of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was gathered by means of a survey and/or questionnaire consisting of 20 questions on ‘indicators’ which assessed progress toward the goals of the HFA. The surveys also provided for qualitative commentary. The target population for this research consisted of local government officials and community representatives. Based on the quantitative scores for all the different indicators, the research showed that South Africa could still improve significantly in terms of compliance with the HFA. More attention must be given to operationalise the HFA at local level, a culture of safety must be fostered, local actors and communities must be involved directly and consulted, indigenous knowledge must be recognised, and significant capacity development for disaster risk reduction is necessary.

Community awareness and predictors of uptake of pertussis booster vaccine in South Australian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Michelle; Thomas, Natalie; Giles, Lynne; Marshall, Helen

2015-12-16

Pertussis is a highly virulent vaccine preventable disease that remains a global challenge. This study aimed to assess community knowledge of pertussis infection as well as awareness and uptake of adult pertussis booster vaccine. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of randomly selected households in South Australia by Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews in 2011. Survey data were weighted to the age, gender and geographical area profile of the population. From 3124 randomly sampled contactable households, 1967 interviews were conducted (participation rate 63%) with individuals aged 18-93 years, including 608 parents of children aged pertussis (whooping cough) and 18% reported that a household member had previously contracted whooping cough infection. Most respondents considered whooping cough to be highly contagious (73%) and severe for infants (89%). Over half (51%) of those surveyed were aware that family members commonly transmit pertussis to infants. Despite high knowledge, pertussis vaccine uptake was low, with only 10% of respondents reporting pertussis vaccination in the previous five years. Whilst 61% of respondents were aware of the availability of an adult pertussis booster vaccine, only 8% (n=154) reported their Family Physician had discussed it with them. If provided free, 77% agreed that they would be more likely to accept a booster pertussis vaccination. Independent predictors of recent pertussis vaccination included higher education, larger household size, perception of greater disease severity for infants and discussion with a Family Physician about pertussis vaccination. Whilst knowledge regarding transmission and severity of Bordetella pertussis was high, uptake of pertussis vaccination for adults is remarkably low amongst the South Australian community. Improved awareness regarding the availability of a booster pertussis vaccine through Family Physicians and/or provision of funded pertussis vaccination for adults has the potential to improve

The effect of a carbon Tax on Australian industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartels, R.

1992-01-01

The Commonwealth Government has adopted an interim planning target of stabilizing emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide based on 1988 levels, by the year 2000, and reducing these emissions by 20% by the year 2005. The Government also agreed that Australia will not adopt measures which would damage Australia's competitiveness, in the absence of similar action by major greenhouse gas producing countries. This paper reports on a study, carried out by London Economics, which assesses the impact of a carbon tax on the international competitiveness of energy-intensive australian industries. A special feature of the study is that analysis is done at a disaggregated level using information on all major world plant in each of the industries. The study finds that a tax imposed to meet the Toronto target would virtually wipe out australian steel and aluminium industries and have a severe impact on the coal industry. 1 fig., 1 tab

Environment and security in the South China Sea region : the role of experts, non-governmental actors and governments in regime building processes

OpenAIRE

Næss, Tom

1999-01-01

Background: The Spratly islands in the South China Sea are today the focal point of a territorial dispute that represents a serious threat to the regional security in Southeast Asia. Six governments - China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei - have laid claims to all or some of the more than 230 islets, reefs and shoals in the Spratly area. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is a key player in the South China Sea conflict. However, the South China Sea is not jus...

Empirical Evidence on the Link Between Compliance with Governance of Best Practice and Firms' Operating Results

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Tek B. Lama

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This study provides robust evidence in support of the agency theory argument that corporate governancematters for a firm’s operating performance. Using the corporate governance ratings as the governance proxyfrom Horwath 2006 Corporate Governance Report (mid-sized Australian ASX companies andMid-CapCorporate Governance Report 2007 (The University of Newcastle 2006; 2007, I examine 60 sample firms toreveal that a firm’s governance is positively and significantly related to firm performance as measured by returnon equity, earning yield and return on assets. This study extends the findings of these two reports which founda disturbing trend in the corporate governance practice of Australian mid-cap companies – both a decrease incompanies with excellent corporate governance, and an increase in companies with significant corporategovernance deficiencies. The findings of this study suggest that those mid-size companies who have allowedcorporate governance to deteriorate have adversely affected their shareholder returns.

The Impact of Governance on the Performance of the Higher Education Sector in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

De Silva Lokuwaduge, Chitra; Armstrong, Anona

2015-01-01

Australian government concern for improved governance in the higher education sector over recent years has driven the implementation of governance protocols. However, there has been little evidence of any evaluation of the impact of the governance structures on the performance of universities. This paper presents an analysis of the impact of the…

Luteocirrhus shearii gen. sp. nov. (Diaporthales, Cryphonectriaceae) pathogenic to Proteaceae in the South Western Australian Floristic Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Crane, Colin; Burgess, Treena I

2013-07-01

Morphological and DNA sequence characteristics of a pathogenic fungus isolated from branch cankers in Proteaceae of the South West Australian Floristic Region elucidated a new genus and species within Cryphonectriaceae (Diaporthales). The pathogen has been isolated from canker lesions in several Banksia species and Lambertia echinata subsp. citrina, and is associated with a serious decline of the rare B. verticillata. Lack of orange pigment in all observed structures except cirrhi, combined with pulvinate to globose black semi-immersed conidiomata with paraphyses, distinguishes the canker fungus from other genera of Cryphonectriaceae. This was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis of the ITS regions, β-tubulin, and LSU genes. The fungus (sexual morph unknown) is described as Luteocirrhus shearii gen. sp. nov. Lesions in seedlings of Banksia spp. following wound inoculation and subsequent recovery confirm Koch's postulates for pathogenicity. This pathogen of native Proteaceae is currently an emerging threat, particularly toward B. baxteri and B. verticillata.

The price elasticity of electricity demand in South Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Shu; Hyndman, Rob J.

2011-01-01

In this paper, the price elasticity of electricity demand, representing the sensitivity of customer demand to the price of electricity, has been estimated for South Australia. We first undertake a review of the scholarly literature regarding electricity price elasticity for different regions and systems. Then we perform an empirical evaluation of the historic South Australian price elasticity, focussing on the relationship between price and demand quantiles at each half-hour of the day. This work attempts to determine whether there is any variation in price sensitivity with the time of day or quantile, and to estimate the form of any relationships that might exist in South Australia. - Highlights: → We review the scholarly literature on electricity own-price elasticity for different regions and systems. → We use annual log-linear econometric models of the electricity demand to estimate the historic South Australian price elasticity. → We focus on the relationship between price and demand quantiles at each half-hour of the day. → The overall price elasticity in South Australia ranges from -0.363 to -0.428.

Institutional (mis)trust in colorectal cancer screening: a qualitative study with Greek, Iranian, Anglo-Australian and Indigenous groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Paul R; Coffey, Cushla; Javanparast, Sara; Wilson, Carlene; Meyer, Samantha B

2015-12-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has the second highest cancer mortality rate in Australia. The Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) aims to increase early detection of CRC by offering free Faecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT), although uptake is low for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups. To present data on trust and mistrust in the NBCSP by population groups with low uptake and thus to highlight areas in need of policy change. A qualitative study was undertaken in South Australia, involving interviews with 94 people from four CALD groups: Greek, Iranian, Anglo-Australian, and Indigenous peoples. Our study highlights the complexities of institutional trust, which involves considerations of trust at interpersonal, local and national levels. In addition, trust and mistrust was found in more abstract systems such as the medical knowledge of doctors to diagnose or treat cancer or the scientific procedures in laboratories to test the FOBTs. The object of institutional (mis)trust differed between cultural groups - Anglo-Australian and Iranian groups indicated a high level of trust in the government, whereas Indigenous participants were much less trusting. The level and nature of trust in the screening process varied between the CALD groups. Addressing program misconceptions, clarifying the FOBT capabilities and involving medical services in collecting and transporting the samples may increase trust in the NBCSP. However, broader and more enduring mistrust in services and institutions may need to be dealt with in order to increase trust and participation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Australian natural gas market outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2004-01-01

A new study of the Australian natural gas industry by leading Australian economics and policy consultancy ACIL Tasman highlights the significant supply and demand side uncertainties currently facing the industry. The ACIL Tasman 'Australian Gas Market Review and Outlook 2004' study presents modelling results for three supply/demand scenarios in Eastern Australia and two in Western Australia. The results show that, even under moderate assumptions about future levels of gas demand growth, major supply-side investment is likely to be needed over the next ten to fifteen years. The base supply/demand scenario for Eastern Australia and Northern Territory, illustrated in Figure 1, shows that even allowing for substantial new discoveries in existing production basins and major expansion of coal seam methane production, in the absence of a northern gas connection to the eastern states (Timor Sea or PNG Highlands) a significant supply gap will begin to emerge from around 2013. The study identifies several supply-side options for Eastern Australia - new discoveries in the established production provinces in Bass Strait and Central Australia; greenfield developments such as the Otway Basin offshore from Victoria and South Australia; continuing expansion of coal seam methane production in Queensland and New South Wales; and gas from Papua New Guinea, Timor Sea or from the North West Shelf region delivered via a trans-continental pipeline. The study concludes that it is unlikely that any single option will suffice to meet future demand. Almost inevitably, a combination of these sources will be needed if anticipated growth opportunities are to be met. With regard to prices, the study shows that in the short to medium term the outlook is for some real reductions in wholesale prices in most regional markets. This reflects increasing levels of upstream competition and declining real costs of pipeline transportation. However in the longer term, supply-side constraints will tend to

Endangered Species? Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Linguistic Ecology of Australian Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Kerry; Palvyshyn, Marko

2012-01-01

Hindi, a less commonly taught language in Australian higher education, was catapulted into the list of four strategically significant languages in the Commonwealth Government's 2012 White Paper, Australia in the Asian Century. Hindi's inclusion is, perhaps, predictable in view of the Commonwealth Government's economic and trade agendas, though the…

Ascendancy of agricultural biotechnology in the Australian political mainstream coexists with technology criticism by a vocal-minority.

Science.gov (United States)

Tribe, David

2014-07-03

Australia is a federation of States. This political structure necessitates collaborative arrangements between Australian governments to harmonize national regulation of gene technology and food standards. Extensive political negotiation among institutions of federal government has managed regulation of GM crops and food. Well-developed human resources in Australian government provided numerous policy documents facilitating a transparent political process. Workable legislation has been devised in the face of criticisms of gene technology though the political process. Conflicts between potential disruptions to food commodity trade by precautionary proposals for environmental protection were one cause of political tensions, and differences in policy priorities at regional political levels versus national and international forums for negotiation were another. Australian policy outcomes on GM crops reflect (a) strong economic self-interest in innovative and productive farming, (b) reliance on global agricultural market reforms through the Cairns trade group and the WTO, and (c) the importance of Codex Alimentarius and WTO instruments SPS and TBT. Precautionary frameworks for GM food safety assurance that are inconsistent with WTO obligations were avoided in legislation. Since 2008 the 2 major parties, Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberals appear to have reached a workable consensus at the Federal policy level about an important role for agricultural biotechnology in Australia's economic future.

Ascendancy of agricultural biotechnology in the Australian political mainstream coexists with technology criticism by a vocal-minority

Science.gov (United States)

Tribe, David

2014-01-01

Australia is a federation of States. This political structure necessitates collaborative arrangements between Australian governments to harmonize national regulation of gene technology and food standards. Extensive political negotiation among institutions of federal government has managed regulation of GM crops and food. Well-developed human resources in Australian government provided numerous policy documents facilitating a transparent political process. Workable legislation has been devised in the face of criticisms of gene technology though the political process. Conflicts between potential disruptions to food commodity trade by precautionary proposals for environmental protection were one cause of political tensions, and differences in policy priorities at regional political levels versus national and international forums for negotiation were another. Australian policy outcomes on GM crops reflect (a) strong economic self-interest in innovative and productive farming, (b) reliance on global agricultural market reforms through the Cairns trade group and the WTO, and (c) the importance of Codex Alimentarius and WTO instruments SPS and TBT. Precautionary frameworks for GM food safety assurance that are inconsistent with WTO obligations were avoided in legislation. Since 2008 the 2 major parties, Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberals appear to have reached a workable consensus at the Federal policy level about an important role for agricultural biotechnology in Australia's economic future. PMID:25437242

Incidence of Achalasia in South Australia Based on Esophageal Manometry Findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffield, Jaime A; Hamer, Peter W; Heddle, Richard; Holloway, Richard H; Myers, Jennifer C; Thompson, Sarah K

2017-03-01

Achalasia is a disorder of esophageal motility with a reported incidence of 0.5 to 1.6 per 100,000 persons per year in Europe, Asia, Canada, and America. However, estimates of incidence values have been derived predominantly from retrospective searches of databases of hospital discharge codes and personal communications with gastroenterologists, and are likely to be incorrect. We performed a cohort study based on esophageal manometry findings to determine the incidence of achalasia in South Australia. We collected data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the South Australian population. Cases of achalasia diagnosed by esophageal manometry were identified from the 3 adult manometry laboratory databases in South Australia. Endoscopy reports and case notes were reviewed for correlations with diagnoses. The annual incidence of achalasia in the South Australian population was calculated for the decade 2004 to 2013. Findings were standardized to those of the European Standard Population based on age. The annual incidence of achalasia in South Australia ranged from 2.3 to 2.8 per 100,000 persons. The mean age at diagnosis was 62.1 ± 18.1 years. The incidence of achalasia increased with age (Spearman rho, 0.95; P achalasia in South Australia to be 2.3 to 2.8 per 100,000 persons and to increase with age. South Australia's relative geographic isolation and the population's access to manometry allowed for more accurate identification of cases than hospital code analyses, with a low probability of missed cases. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Ralph review - tax reform and the Australian gas industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horden, P.; Kellock, I.

1999-01-01

The impact of the Federal Government's tax reform package on the Australian gas industry will be generally negative, particularly in terms of infrastructure investment, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers' Peter Hordern and Ian Kellock. This article examines the critical aspects of the package. Overall, the impact of the tax reform package (consisting of the Ralph committee's report and the Government's initial response) on the Australian gas industry would appear to be negative. The removal of accelerated depreciation and the potential for severe limitations on leasing arrangements is particularly bad news. While the proposed reduction in the company tax rate may appear positive, this is unlikely to provide significant benefit to the industry. The reality is existing gas infrastructure investors are generally in tax losses and will derive no immediate benefit from the rate change. For new investors, the reduction in rate will not offset the loss of accelerated depreciation deductions

South Africa’s BRICS Presidency: Regional Power at the Helm of a Global Governance Forum

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Marina V Larionova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the analysis of South Africa’s BRICS Presidency which formally started with the summit in Durban on March 15-17, 2013 and finished in June 2014 with the BRICS leaders’ Fortaleza meeting. To assess the Presidency effectiveness the author applies “supply-demand” model fine-tuned to achieve a balance of external conditions and national priorities of the country chairing informal summitry institutions, such as BRICS, G20 or G7/8. This analytical paradigm allows reveal to what extent the Presidency has managed to ensure: 1 a high level of response to the key global governance challenges in the summit agenda and decisions; 2 a balance between internal demand (domestic priorities and external demand (other members’ interests and global governance challenges in the Presidency priorities; 3 maximal use of the institution’s capabilities. Conformity of the role chosen by the Presidency (organizer, mediator, political leader, national representative to the combination of external and internal conditions is also considered as it is a major factor of the presidency success. Content analysis, comparative analysis and functional approach were used in the study. The primary sources of the research included the BRICS documents, national documents of the member states, the leaders’ addresses. The study reveals that the major factors of the South African BRICS presidency success were commitment to implementation of the Durban decisions and action plan as well as the will to utilize the BRICS capabilities for African countries development and South African regional leadership. In the former case the foundation of success was reinforced the chair’ choice of the organizer role, whereas in the latter a combination of the political leader and national representative roles proved to be the most productive for the presidency.

The story of the Australian Youth Forum — the political and social realities behind online technological solutions in youth political communication

OpenAIRE

Pillay, Prashanth

2017-01-01

This thesis examines the difficulties in using online media as a tool to solve youth political engagement problems. It argues that online media has complicated the relationship between the government and young Australians, highlighting the practical difficulties of operationalising effective political communication practices. The Australian Youth Forum (AYF), Australia’s main online government project to raise low youth public engagement levels, is used as a case study. Originally inten...

Governance, violence and the struggle for economic regulation in South Sudan: the case of Budi County (Eastern Equatoria

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Anne Walraet

2008-10-01

Full Text Available This article analyses how Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State (South Sudan was governed during the 1990s and up to mid-2007. Because its capital Chukudum was the SPLM/A headquarters almost throughout that period, it provides us with an interesting case from which to explore how the SPLM/A governed during the war and how this impacts on the post-war peace. One observation is that the war, besides a period of devastation and human suffering, was also a time of economic opportunities and social differentiation. For that reason this article will also explore livestock trade as a new mode of wealth appropriation and the changing nature of cattle raiding, and how this interferes with the struggle for regulatory power and governable “spaces”. This means that we comprehend the economy as a political terrain. At the same time we leave room for sociological perspectives, to complement the more restricted “competition for resources and gains” approach to conflict and violence. The article is written in three sections. In the first section we briefly clarify why in 1999 there was an uprising in Budi County against SPLM/A rule and why it engendered massive local support. In the second section we examine one of the most destructive manifestations of violence that affect Budi county: cattle raiding. We look at it from a perspective that has been under-researched in the eld: that of trans-border trade. In the last section we look at how, after the peace of 2005, newly appointed local government authorities are (reclaiming do- mains of state regulation that previously lay rmly in the hands of the military. Particular attention is given to the capacity of the local authorities to guarantee security and provide protection. Key words: governance, violent conflict, regulatory power, trans-border trade, South Sudan Eastern Equatoria

Influencing Safety in Australian Agriculture and Fisheries.

Science.gov (United States)

McBain-Rigg, Kristin E; Franklin, Richard C; King, Jemma C; Lower, Tony

2017-01-01

Improving the health and safety of those working in Australian agriculture and fishery industries is a recognized priority area for preventative activities. With Australian agricultural industries being among the nation's most dangerous workplaces, there is a need for action. While there are currently known solutions, their implementation is limited. Influential agents, i.e., people who can influence others, are important for helping engender action to enact solutions into practice. This study examines agents that influence safety behavior either negatively (barriers) or positively (facilitators), in the Australian agriculture and fishery industries. Focus groups were conducted with producers and industry representatives. Thematic analysis identified barriers and facilitators to improve health and safety. These were assessed against the Socioecological Model, which considers the various, and often intersecting, human (intrapersonal, i.e. values and attitudes, peers, familial, and cultural) factors influencing safety behavior. Seven categories of human influences were identified: self, peers, family, intergenerational change, industry agents, government agents, and other. Peers (including direct managers) and family were seen to be direct influencers. Individuals signal to others that safety is valued and important. This is reinforced by experience, skill, attitudes, and behavior. Safety practice knowledge acquisition occurred via the family unit, specific training, industry, or knowledge transfer between industries. Government influence predominately focused on legislation and while the source of this influence is distant, it does influence behavior. There is a need to support comprehensive programs. These should include strengthening relationships via peer-to-peer networking, sharing information about safety initiatives, appropriate legislation, and enhancing leadership of all influencers with regard to safety.

Australian and South African perspectives on the implementation of flexible work practices (Fwp: an exploratory study

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Aletta Odendaal

2002-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to identify examples of good and innovative practices of Flexible Work Practices to benchmark against and then to use the information to develop strategies of implementation that will assist South African organisations to emulate their success. One hundred-and-twenty (120 individuals, representing different stakeholder groups were requested to complete a questionnaire, based on an Australian study. Comparative findings of both countries strongly confirmed variables that are positively associated with the adoption and successful implementation of Flexible Work Practices (FWP. Opsomming Die doel van hierdie studie was om voorbeelde van goeie en innoverende gebruike van Buigsame Werkspraktyke te identifiseer ten einde daarteen te kan vergelyk, en dan om hierdie inligting te gebruik ten einde implementeringstrategieë te ontwikkel wat Suid Afrikaanse maatskappye kan gebruik om sukses na te volg. Honderd en twintig (120 individue, wat verskillende belangegroepe verteenwoordig, is genader om ‘n vraelys, gebaseer op ‘n Australiese studie, te voltooi. Vergelykende bevindinge van beide lande bevestig veranderlikes wat positief geassosieer word met die aanvaarding en suksesvolle implementering van Buigsame Werkspraktyke (BWP.

Indigenous Gambling Motivations, Behaviour and Consequences in Northern New South Wales, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Breen, Helen M.; Hing, Nerilee; Gordon, Ashley

2011-01-01

Against a background of public health, we sought to examine and explain gambling behaviours, motivations and consequences of Indigenous Australians in northern New South Wales. Adhering to national Aboriginal and ethical guidelines and using qualitative methods, 169 Indigenous Australians were interviewed individually and in small groups using…

Local Government in the South Pacific Islands

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Graham Hassall

2008-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we seek to answer some basic questions about the condition of local government in the Pacific. Firstly, we examine what is meant by ‘local government’ in the various islands and for that matter how Pacific Island states have perceived and accepted local government institutions in practice; second, we ask basic questions about existing legal and constitutional recognition and powers; and third, we provide initial findings on current per capita expenditure and local government financial viability in a number of Pacific cities and towns. We also make some observations on current moves towards local government reform.

A data delivery system for IMOS, the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, R.; Roberts, K.; Ward, B. J.

2010-09-01

The Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, www.imos.org.au), an AUD 150 m 7-year project (2007-2013), is a distributed set of equipment and data-information services which, among many applications, collectively contribute to meeting the needs of marine climate research in Australia. The observing system provides data in the open oceans around Australia out to a few thousand kilometres as well as the coastal oceans through 11 facilities which effectively observe and measure the 4-dimensional ocean variability, and the physical and biological response of coastal and shelf seas around Australia. Through a national science rationale IMOS is organized as five regional nodes (Western Australia - WAIMOS, South Australian - SAIMOS, Tasmania - TASIMOS, New SouthWales - NSWIMOS and Queensland - QIMOS) surrounded by an oceanic node (Blue Water and Climate). Operationally IMOS is organized as 11 facilities (Argo Australia, Ships of Opportunity, Southern Ocean Automated Time Series Observations, Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Facility, Australian National Mooring Network, Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network, Australian Acoustic Tagging and Monitoring System, Facility for Automated Intelligent Monitoring of Marine Systems, eMarine Information Infrastructure and Satellite Remote Sensing) delivering data. IMOS data is freely available to the public. The data, a combination of near real-time and delayed mode, are made available to researchers through the electronic Marine Information Infrastructure (eMII). eMII utilises the Australian Academic Research Network (AARNET) to support a distributed database on OPeNDAP/THREDDS servers hosted by regional computing centres. IMOS instruments are described through the OGC Specification SensorML and where-ever possible data is in CF compliant netCDF format. Metadata, conforming to standard ISO 19115, is automatically harvested from the netCDF files and the metadata records catalogued in the

Research Ready Program: A First in Regional South Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Penman, Joy; Oliver, Mary

2012-01-01

In response to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Board's introduction in 2010 of the new Research Project subject, the University of South Australia's Centre for Participation and Community Engagement took the opportunity to engage further with school students by organising the Research Ready Program. The adoption of the program…

Multicultural Education: The State of Play from an Australian Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Megan; Lean, Garth; Noble, Greg

2016-01-01

This article reports on the first comprehensive survey of public school teachers in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) around issues of multicultural and English as Second Language (ESL) education. While there is substantial literature on multicultural education--what it should and shouldn't be--there is much that is left unexplored in…

Changes in monthly unemployment rates may predict changes in the number of psychiatric presentations to emergency services in South Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidargaddi, Niranjan; Bastiampillai, Tarun; Schrader, Geoffrey; Adams, Robert; Piantadosi, Cynthia; Strobel, Jörg; Tucker, Graeme; Allison, Stephen

2015-07-24

To determine the extent to which variations in monthly Mental Health Emergency Department (MHED) presentations in South Australian Public Hospitals are associated with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) monthly unemployment rates. Times series modelling of relationships between monthly MHED presentations to South Australian Public Hospitals derived from the Integrated South Australian Activity Collection (ISAAC) data base and the ABS monthly unemployment rates in South Australia between January 2004-June 2011. Time series modelling using monthly unemployment rates from ABS as a predictor variable explains 69% of the variation in monthly MHED presentations across public hospitals in South Australia. Thirty-two percent of the variation in current month's male MHED presentations can be predicted by using the 2 months' prior male unemployment rate. Over 63% of the variation in monthly female MHED presentations can be predicted by either male or female prior monthly unemployment rates. The findings of this study highlight that even with the relatively favourable economic conditions, small shifts in monthly unemployment rates can predict variations in monthly MHED presentations, particularly for women. Monthly ABS unemployment rates may be a useful metric for predicting demand for emergency mental health services.

Viewing the proposed South African Business Rescuie Provisions ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article makes some comparisons between the Australian corporate rescue provisions and those proposed to be adopted in South Africa in the Companies Bill 2007. By so doing it may assist in the debate in South Africa over how the legislation is framed as the experience in Australia may be useful as an indicator of ...

The gambling behavior of indigenous Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Hing, Nerilee; Breen, Helen; Gordon, Ashley; Russell, Alex

2014-06-01

The gambling activities of minority groups such as Indigenous peoples are usually culturally complex and poorly understood. To redress the scarcity of information and contribute to a better understanding of gambling by Indigenous people, this paper presents quantitative evidence gathered at three Australian Indigenous festivals, online and in several Indigenous communities. With support from Indigenous communities, the study collected and analyzed surveys from 1,259 self-selected Indigenous adults. Approximately 33 % of respondents gambled on card games while 80 % gambled on commercial gambling forms in the previous year. Gambling participation and involvement are high, particularly on electronic gaming machines (EGMs), the favorite and most regular form of gambling. Men are significantly more likely to participate in gambling and to gamble more frequently on EGMs, horse/dog races, sports betting and instant scratch tickets. This elevated participation and frequency of gambling on continuous forms would appear to heighten gambling risks for Indigenous men. This is particularly the case for younger Indigenous men, who are more likely than their older counterparts to gamble on EGMs, table games and poker. While distinct differences between the gambling behaviors of our Indigenous sample and non-Indigenous Australians are apparent, Australian Indigenous behavior appears similar to that of some Indigenous and First Nations populations in other countries. Although this study represents the largest survey of Indigenous Australian gambling ever conducted in New South Wales and Queensland, further research is needed to extend our knowledge of Indigenous gambling and to limit the risks from gambling for Indigenous peoples.

Distribution and establishment of the alien Australian redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, in South Africa and Swaziland

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Ana L. Nunes

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background The Australian redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus, von Martens, is native to Australasia, but has been widely translocated around the world due to aquaculture and aquarium trade. Mostly as a result of escape from aquaculture facilities, this species has established extralimital populations in Australia and alien populations in Europe, Asia, Central America and Africa. In South Africa, C. quadricarinatus was first sampled from the wild in 2002 in the Komati River, following its escape from an aquaculture facility in Swaziland, but data on the current status of its populations are not available. Methods To establish a better understanding of its distribution, rate of spread and population status, we surveyed a total of 46 sites in various river systems in South Africa and Swaziland. Surveys were performed between September 2015 and August 2016 and involved visual observations and the use of collapsible crayfish traps. Results Cherax quadricarinatus is now present in the Komati, Lomati, Mbuluzi, Mlawula and Usutu rivers, and it was also detected in several off-channel irrigation impoundments. Where present, it was generally abundant, with populations having multiple size cohorts and containing ovigerous females. In the Komati River, it has spread more than 112 km downstream of the initial introduction point and 33 km upstream of a tributary, resulting in a mean spread rate of 8 km year−1 downstream and 4.7 km year−1 upstream. In Swaziland, estimated downstream spread rate might reach 14.6 km year−1. Individuals were generally larger and heavier closer to the introduction site, which might be linked to juvenile dispersal. Discussion These findings demonstrate that C. quadricarinatus is established in South Africa and Swaziland and that the species has spread, not only within the river where it was first introduced, but also between rivers. Considering the strong impacts that alien crayfish usually have on invaded ecosystems

Uplifting Leadership for Real School Improvement--The North Coast Initiative for School Improvement: An Australian Telling of a Canadian Story

Science.gov (United States)

Chaseling, Marilyn; Boyd, William Edgar; Smith, Robert; Boyd, Wendy; Shipway, Bradley; Foster, Alan; Lembke, Cathy

2017-01-01

This paper reports on a preliminary Australian adoption and adaptation, in the North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, of the Townsend and Adams' model of leadership growth for school improvement in Alberta. The Australian adaptation of this Alberta model has been named the North Coast Initiative for School Improvement (NCISI). The…

Comorbidities contribute to the risk of cancer death among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians: Analysis of a matched cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Banham, David; Roder, David; Brown, Alex

2018-02-01

Aboriginal Australians have poorer cancer survival than other Australians. Diagnoses at later stages and correlates of remote area living influence, but do not fully explain, these disparities. Little is known of the prevalence and influence of comorbid conditions experienced by Aboriginal people, including their effect on cancer survival. This study quantifies hospital recorded comorbidities using the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI), examines their influence on risk of cancer death, then considers effect variation by Aboriginality. Cancers diagnosed among Aboriginal South Australians in 1990-2010 (N = 777) were matched with randomly selected non-Aboriginal cases by birth year, diagnostic year, sex, and primary site, then linked to administrative hospital records to the time of diagnosis. Competing risk regression summarised associations of Aboriginal status, stage, geographic attributes and comorbidities with risk of cancer death. A threshold of four or more ECI conditions was associated with increased risk of cancer death (sub-hazard ratio SHR 1.66, 95%CI 1.11-2.46). Alternatively, the presence of any one of a subset of ECI conditions was associated with similarly increased risk (SHR = 1.62, 95%CI 1.23-2.14). The observed effects did not differ between Aboriginal and matched non-Aboriginal cases. However, Aboriginal cases experienced three times higher exposure than non-Aboriginal to four or more ECI conditions (14.2% versus 4.5%) and greater exposure to the subset of ECI conditions (20.7% versus 8.0%). Comorbidities at diagnosis increased the risk of cancer death in addition to risks associated with Aboriginality, remoteness of residence and disease stage at diagnosis. The Aboriginal cohort experienced comparatively greater exposure to comorbidities which adds to disparities in cancer outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why and how to compensate living organ donors: ethical implications of the new Australian scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Giubilini, Alberto

2015-05-01

The Australian Federal Government has announced a two-year trial scheme to compensate living organ donors. The compensation will be the equivalent of six weeks paid leave at the rate of the national minimum wage. In this article I analyse the ethics of compensating living organ donors taking the Australian scheme as a reference point. Considering the long waiting lists for organ transplantations and the related costs on the healthcare system of treating patients waiting for an organ, the 1.3 million AUD the Australian Government has committed might represent a very worthwhile investment. I argue that a scheme like the Australian one is sufficiently well designed to avoid all the ethical problems traditionally associated with attaching a monetary value to the human body or to parts of it, namely commodification, inducement, exploitation, and equality issues. Therefore, I suggest that the Australian scheme, if cost-effective, should represent a model for other countries to follow. Nonetheless, although I endorse this scheme, I will also argue that this kind of scheme raises issues of justice in regard to the distribution of organs. Thus, I propose that other policies would be needed to supplement the scheme in order to guarantee not only a higher number of organs available, but also a fair distribution. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sea snakes in Australian waters (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae)—a review with an updated identification key

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Redsted Rasmussen, Arne; Sanders, Kate Laura; Guinea, Michael L

2014-01-01

Sea snakes (Elapidae, subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) reach high species richness in the South China Sea and in the Australian region; however, most countries in the two regions still lack up-to-date checklists and identification tools for these snakes. We present an updated reviewed...... checklist and a new complete identification key to sea snakes in Australian waters. The identification key includes 29 species documented and 4 possibly occurring taxa and is based mostly on easy-to-use external characters. We find no evidence for breeding populations of Laticauda in Australian waters...

Selatan—Sur—South

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Ian Campbell

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Kumpulan puisi dalam Bahasa Indonesia oleh IAN CAMPBELL/Poetry compilation in Indonesian by the Australian poet Ian Campbell. This collection of poems explores the notion of the 'south' from locations in Indonesia, Australia, Chile and Argentina, locations in which the poems were written. Explaining his topographical approach in these poems, Campbell says: "One of the poems, titled in the Indonesian original 'Lejano sur' (Ke Kejauhan Selatan, appears alongside an English version, called 'Further South.' This short poem takes Borges's short story 'Sur' and a reference to Avenida Rivadavia that he includes in 'Sur' as its starting point for crossing into 'the South' from the centre of Buenos Aires. I then explore ideas of southness - as paradoxically moving 'south' away from North into a region where 'the natural elements are supreme'. Recent Chilean poetry eg 'Despedidas Antárticas' by Julio Carrasco (2006 picks up this idea of 'towards the essence' better than recent Australian poetry. Only Tom Griffiths, the historian, has recently explored this in prose. There are Borgesian images of dust/lack of clarity, then we head into a region where eg Torre del Paine, admittedly on the Chilean side of the Andes, come to mind. The stress on the elements - stone, wind, fire - is an allusion to the way Indonesian poet, Acep Zamzam Noor, portrays these elements in a poem 'Batu dan Angin' (Stone and Wind which has strong sufi/meditative elements. We head into the polar area, which because of climate change, is now melting. But there is also an allusion to Douglas Stewart's play 'Fire on the Snow' about the 1911 Scott expedition and the value of 'human failure'. Even the 'essence' is melting and is no longer stable."

Eating disorder features in indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Peoples

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Hay Phillipa J

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity and related cardiovascular and metabolic conditions are well recognized problems for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, there is a dearth of research on relevant eating disorders (EDs such as binge eating disorder in these groups. Methods Data were obtained from interviews of 3047 (in 2005 and 3034 (in 2008 adults who were participants in a randomly selected South Australian household survey of individuals' age > 15 years. The interviewed comprised a general health survey in which ED questions were embedded. Data were weighted according to national census results and comprised key features of ED symptoms. Results In 2005 there were 94 (85 weighted First Australian respondents, and in 2008 65 (70 weighted. Controlling for secular differences, in 2005 rates of objective binge eating and levels of weight and shape influence on self-evaluation were significantly higher in indigenous compared to non-indigenous participants, but no significant differences were found in ED features in 2008. Conclusions Whilst results on small numbers must be interpreted with caution, the main finding was consistent over the two samples. For First Australians ED symptoms are at least as frequent as for non-indigenous Australians.

Gender Differences in Beliefs about Condom Use among Young, Heterosexual Australian Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Fiona J.; Newton, Joshua D.; Windisch, Lydia; Ewing, Michael T.

2013-01-01

Objective: To investigate gender differences in beliefs about condom use among young, sexually active, heterosexual Australian adults. Design: Cross-sectional survey of 1,113 adults aged 18-26 years. Setting: Higher education institutions across New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Method: Participants were recruited during higher-education…

Enhanced governance committees in South Africa’s national government departments: A conceptual exploration

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Tankiso Moloi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that almost all other non-governmental institutions for instance banks and pension funds, in addition to the risk and audit committees, have credit committees in respect of banks and investment committees in respect of pension funds. These committees provide oversight on the core businesses of these institutions. In a similar manner, national government departments should not only have universal governance committees such as the audit and risk committees, instead the study envisions governance committees modelled around the idea parliamentary portfolio committees. The envisaged committees will remain governance committees with defined roles and responsibilities similar to the audit and risk committees that are already in existence in the national government departments.

Water security at local government level in South Africa: a qualitative interview-based analysis

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Richard Meissner, DPhil

2018-05-01

individuals and their natural surroundings. We discovered that perceptions depend on many different factors. First, the changing state of the natural environment a person lives in—eg, one respondent from eThekwini said “When it rains in summer a lot of stuff gets washed down into the storm water drains and into the sea. The main concern here is pathogens.” Second, socioeconomic status is important—one community member in Ntshongweni noted that only some community members have the financial means to buy water tanks for rain harvesting to enhance their household water security. Third, experiences relating to various interactions with local governments and members of the community can also affect perceptions—eg, some respondents were unsatisfied with responses to problems by local authorities. A respondent from eThekwini said “Sometimes when we report water leakages it takes a long time for them to get fixed”, and a respondent from Sekhukhune said “Sometimes we have asked the authorities about the problem of water supply cuts, they told us about a stolen water pump and gave us inconsistent answers”. Therefore, a changing natural environment, like flooding and drought, is not the only variable that influences water security perceptions; such conceptualisations also depend to varying degrees on interpersonal relationships (eg, with local authorities and practices (eg, collecting rainwater, which are directly or indirectly related to water security enhancement. Interpretation: How people perceive water security has policy implications at the local government level in South Africa and further afield in other low-income and middle-income countries where data collection is unreliable. We established that people from diverse lifestyles hold various understandings and interpretations of water security relating mainly to the availability, access, and quality of water resources. Understanding how people perceive water security in specific localities could aid policy

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: challenges for Australian health and medicine policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Faunce, Thomas A; Townsend, Ruth

2011-01-17

Four formal rounds of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations took place in 2010. They involved over 200 officials from Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Brunei, Peru, Vietnam and Malaysia. Future negotiations officially are set to include three issues with public health and medicines policy implications for Australia and our region: ways to approach regulatory coherence and transparency; how to benefit multinational and small-medium enterprises; and multilateral investor-state dispute settlement. US-based multinational pharmaceutical companies are lobbying for TPPA provisions like those in the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement, which reduce government cost-effectiveness regulatory control of pharmaceuticals, threatening equitable access to medicines. They also advocate increased TPPA intellectual monopoly privilege protection, which will further limit the development of Australian generic medicine enterprises and restrict patient access to cheap, bioequivalent prescription drugs. Of particular concern is that proposed TPPA multilateral investor-state dispute settlement procedures would allow US corporations (as well as those of other TPPA nations) to obtain damages against Australian governments through international arbitral proceedings if their investments are impeded by Australian public health and environment protection legislation.

"There's so Much Data": Exploring the Realities of Data-Based School Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Selwyn, Neil

2016-01-01

Educational governance is commonly predicated around the generation, collation and processing of data through digital technologies. Drawing upon an empirical study of two Australian secondary schools, this paper explores the different forms of data-based governance that are being enacted by school leaders, managers, administrators and teachers.…

Water governance challenges for rural supply: A case study of two local municipalities in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Nkuna, ZW

2012-05-01

Full Text Available . W Nkuna Student Number: 10544403 Supervisor: Prof. C J dew. Rautenbach Department: Geography, Geo-informatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria ABSTRACT In South Africa water is regarded as constitutional right and government has therefore... the water needs of rural communities. Issues such as poverty, water resources challenges and lack of capacity and skills at municipalities create problems which leave rural communities with no alternative but to rely on unsafe water sources for their water...

Australian energy statistics - Australian energy update 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donaldson, K.

2005-06-15

ABARE's energy statistics include comprehensive coverage of Australian energy consumption, by state, by industry and by fuel. Australian Energy Update 2005 provides an overview of recent trends and description of the full coverage of the dataset. There are 14 Australian energy statistical tables available as free downloads (product codes 13172 to 13185).

Australian asylum policies: have they violated the right to health of asylum seekers?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Vanessa

2009-02-01

Notwithstanding recent migration policy amendments, there is concern that Australian asylum policies have disproportionately burdened the health and wellbeing of onshore asylum seekers. There may be a case to be made that Australian governments have been in violation of the right to health of this population. The objective of this paper is to critically examine these issues and assess the implications for public health practice. The author undertook a review of the recent empirical literature on the health effects of post-migration stressors arising from Australian policies of immigration detention, temporary protection and the restriction of Medicare to some asylum seekers. This evidence was examined within the context of Australia's international law obligations. Findings reveal that Australian asylum policies of detention, temporary protection and the exclusion of some asylum seekers from Medicare rights have been associated with adverse mental health outcomes for this population. This is attributable to the impact of these policies on accessing health care and the underlying determinants of health for asylum seekers. It is arguable that Australian Governments have been discriminating against asylum seekers by withholding access on the grounds of their migration status, to health care and to the core determinants of health in this context. In so doing, Australia may have been in violation of its obligation to respect the right to health of this population. While the 'right to health' framework has much to offer public health, it is an undervalued and poorly understood discipline. The author argues for more education, research and advocacy around the intersection between heath and human rights.

An Investigation on Allocative Efficiency and Implications of New Funding Plans for the Australian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Mamun, Shamsul Arifeen Khan; Rahman, Mohammand Mafizur

2016-01-01

In 2013 and 2014, the Australian Federal Government introduced the Gonski reforms and fee deregulation measures to reform the prevailing financing provisions for education sectors in Australia. The central proposition of the proposed new measures was to reduce the funding of public universities by the Federal Government. One likely consequence of…

Japanese investment in Australian coal assets through the demise of concessional financing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, Jason

2013-01-01

The Australian coal industry has been described as being a perpetual case of ‘profitless prosperity’. This implies that foreign companies invest in low-margin mining activities with motives other than profit. It is argued that foreign investors and Japanese trading companies in particular used government investment concessions and subsidies to help create oversupply in the seaborne coal market. The aim of this strategy is to depress contract prices at the cost of achieving reasonable profitability levels, which have historically been well below that of other investors in the Australian mining sector. This study shows that the quasi-integration via concessional funding arrangements is not a credible strategy employed by Japanese trading companies or the Japanese Government. The analysis rejects the hypothesis that via foreign direct investment, Japanese companies are securing coal at below average prices. Furthermore we find no clear evidence of Japanese trading companies using their information advantage as equity investors to secure coal at favourable prices during contract negotiations. Finally we examine the investment behaviour of new entrants in the Australian coal production sector to highlight the differences in investment strategy between Japanese companies and other foreign investors regarding the security of supply. - Highlights: ► Past foreign investment practices sacrificed profit to create oversupply of Australian coal. ► Only a small amount of equity capital was required to exert influence over coal output. ► Foreign investors can no longer exploit information advantages to obtain favourable prices. ► Information advantages from partial ownership do not influence supply costs. ► Foreign investors in Australian mining now achieve similar profits to domestic firms.

Why the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia is not a credible partner for the Australian government in making alcohol policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Munro, Geoffrey

2012-06-01

In 2008 the Australian government increased the excise rate on ready-to-drink premixed spirits or 'alcopops' by 70% to reduce their attraction to young people. A campaign against the decision was led by the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia, whose members include representatives of the world's largest spirits producers and which aspires to partner the government in making alcohol policy. Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia's central thesis appeared to lack substance and sincerity: first, it promoted industry data that were evidently premature and misleading; second, it claimed ready-to-drinks were a safer alternative to the consumption of full-strength spirits because spirits pose a threat to drinkers due to their higher alcoholic content. For spirits producers to concede that drinking spirits is generically hazardous may be unprecedented and contradicts the spirits industry's long-standing opposition to the introduction of health warnings on product labels. Although that admission did not survive the resolution of the case, the effect may be profound, as it might justify the demand for greater control of the labelling and marketing of spirits, and reduce the credibility of spirits producers, and the broader alcohol industry, on matters of policy. © 2011 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

The impact of employee level and work stress on mental health and GP service use: an analysis of a sample of Australian government employees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Strazdins Lyndall

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study sought to identify the extent to which employee level and work stressors were associated with mental health problems experienced by Australian government employees, and with their use of primary care services. Methods 806 government employees aged between 40 and 44 years were surveyed as part of an epidemiological study conducted in Australia. Data collected from participants included sociodemographic attributes, physical health, psychological measures and work stressors relating to job control, job demands, job security and skills discretion at work. For 88% of these participants, information on visits made to general practitioners (GPs for the six months before and after their survey interview was obtained from health insurance records. Results When work stress and personal factors were taken into account, men at more junior levels reported better mental health, more positive affect and used fewer GP services. Women at middle-management levels obtained less GP care than their more senior counterparts. Both men and women who reported higher levels of work stress were found to have poorer mental health and well-being. The impact of such stressors on GP service use, however, differed for men and women. Conclusion Measures of work stress and not employee level affect the mental health and well-being of government employees. For governments with responsibility for funding health care services, reducing work stress experienced by their own employees offers potential benefits by improving the health of their workforce and reducing outlays for such services.

The impact of employee level and work stress on mental health and GP service use: an analysis of a sample of Australian government employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Parslow, Ruth A; Jorm, Anthony F; Christensen, Helen; Broom, Dorothy H; Strazdins, Lyndall; D' Souza, Rennie M

2004-09-30

This study sought to identify the extent to which employee level and work stressors were associated with mental health problems experienced by Australian government employees, and with their use of primary care services. 806 government employees aged between 40 and 44 years were surveyed as part of an epidemiological study conducted in Australia. Data collected from participants included sociodemographic attributes, physical health, psychological measures and work stressors relating to job control, job demands, job security and skills discretion at work. For 88% of these participants, information on visits made to general practitioners (GPs) for the six months before and after their survey interview was obtained from health insurance records. When work stress and personal factors were taken into account, men at more junior levels reported better mental health, more positive affect and used fewer GP services. Women at middle-management levels obtained less GP care than their more senior counterparts. Both men and women who reported higher levels of work stress were found to have poorer mental health and well-being. The impact of such stressors on GP service use, however, differed for men and women. Measures of work stress and not employee level affect the mental health and well-being of government employees. For governments with responsibility for funding health care services, reducing work stress experienced by their own employees offers potential benefits by improving the health of their workforce and reducing outlays for such services.

Outbreaks of sarcoptic mange in free-ranging koala populations in Victoria and South Australia: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Speight, K N; Whiteley, P L; Woolford, L; Duignan, P J; Bacci, B; Lathe, S; Boardman, W; Scheelings, T F; Funnell, O; Underwood, G; Stevenson, M A

2017-07-01

To describe outbreaks of sarcoptic mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei in free-ranging koalas in Victoria (December 2008 to November 2015) and South Australia (October 2011 to September 2014). Koalas affected by mange-like lesions were reported by wildlife carers, veterinary practitioners or State Government personnel to the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at The University of Melbourne and the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at The University of Adelaide. Skin scrapings were taken from live and dead koalas and S. scabiei mites were identified. Tissues from necropsied koalas were examined histologically. Outbreaks of sarcoptic mange were found to occur in koalas from both Victoria (n = 29) and South Australia (n = 29) for the first time. The gross pathological and histopathological changes are described. We present the first reported cases of sarcoptic mange outbreaks in free-ranging koalas. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

Significant factors for enabling knowledge sharing between government agencies within South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avain Mannie

2013-10-01

Objectives: This study aimed to validate the significant factors that influence the effectiveness of KM between government agencies in South Africa. The commonly identified pillars of KM in the extant literature served as a primary framework in establishing these factors. Method: Data were gathered using an electronic survey made available to different national government agencies within the security cluster. Responses were analysed using structural equation modelling. Main findings: Existing literature highlighted organisational culture, learning organisation, collaboration, subject matter experts and trust as being determinants for knowledge management. The first two were identified as the most significant factors for knowledge sharing to succeed. Conclusion: Whilst there is universal consent as to the strategic importance of KM, actionable implementation of knowledge sharing initiatives appears to be lacking. This study emphasised the fact that leaders must instil a knowledge sharing culture either through employee performance contracts or methods such as the balanced score card. The study also showed that it is imperative for leaders to acknowledge that KM is a multi-faceted discipline that offers strategic advantages. Leaders of developing countries should note that they are on a developmental journey. This requires their organisations to be learning organisations, which necessitates a change in the organisational culture and knowledge interventions through their academies of learning.

Governance of pension funds: interlocking and compensation of Australian superannuation fund boards

OpenAIRE

Ooi, Elizabeth Meishan

2017-01-01

This thesis documents the incidence and determinants of board interlocking (where directors simultaneously sit on multiple boards) in pension funds and examines its effect on fund performance. It also investigates the determinants of pension fund director compensation. The motivation to examine these issues stems from the distinctive interlocking and compensation practices in pension funds. Data on a sample of 249 Australian pension funds from 2004 to 2011 is collected from fund documents ...

Secrets and Lies: Sex Education and Gendered Memories of Childhood's End in an Australian Provincial City, 1930s-1950s

Science.gov (United States)

May, Josephine

2006-01-01

There are few historical studies about the sex education of Australian youth. Drawing on a range of sources, including the oral histories of 40 women and men who attended two single-sex, selective high schools in a provincial Australian city (Newcastle, New South Wales) in the 1930s-1950s, this paper explores the adolescent experience of sex…

Identifying High Academic Potential in Australian Aboriginal Children Using Dynamic Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Chaffey, Graham W.; Bailey, Stan B.; Vine, Ken W.

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of dynamic testing as a method for identifying high academic potential in Australian Aboriginal children. The 79 participating Aboriginal children were drawn from Years 3-5 in rural schools in northern New South Wales. The dynamic testing method used in this study involved a…

The Lessons of Modularity in Informing Australian Army Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-12

force. In examining these elements, linkages were drawn to the related elements of doctrine and leadership where appropriate. As elements of...OtrasPublicaciones/ Internacional /ResenaIEEE_EstrategiaNacionalSeguridadAustralia_feb2013.pdf; Australian Government, Department of Defence, Defence...identified in subsequent sections), and to restructure organizations with specific stability- related capabilities external to the BCT (such as military

Governance-Default Risk Relationship and the Demand for Intermediated and Non-Intermediated Debt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Husam Aldamen

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the impact of corporate governance on the demand for intermediated debt (asset finance, bank debt, non-bank private debt and non-intermediated debt (public debt in the Australian debt market. Relative to other countries the Australian debt market is characterised by higher proportions of intermediated or private debt with a lower inherent level of information asymmetry in that private lenders have greater access to financial information (Gray, Koh & Tong 2009. Our firm level, cross-sectional evidence suggests that higher corporate governance impacts demand for debt via the mitigation of default risk. However, this relationship is not uniform across all debt types. Intermediated debt such as bank and asset finance debt are more responsive to changes in governance-default risk relationship than non-bank and non-intermediated debt. The implication is that a firm’s demand for different debt types will reflect its governance-default risk profile.

Demographics of Australian horses: results from an internet-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Smyth, G B; Dagley, K

2016-03-01

To obtain information on the types of Australian horses, how they are kept and their activities. An invitation to participate in an opt-in, internet-based survey was sent to 7000 people who had registered an email address to receive information from the Australian Horse Industry Council Inc. There were 3377 (48%) useable responses from owners of 26,548 horses. Most horses were kept on small properties (usually 2-8 ha) in paddocks in rural areas of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Most horses were female or geldings and the most common of 54 different activities was breeding. Owners reported 19,291 horses were used in different activities and 6037 (23%) horses were not kept for any stated purpose or activity. Owners used an average of 1.95 horses in 2.9 different types of activities. The most common of the 43 breeds were Thoroughbred, Australian Stock Horse and Australian Quarter Horse. Only 1% of the total numbers of Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds in this survey were used in horse racing, indicating there is a demand for these breeds in non-racing activities. Microchip was the most favoured method of horse identification and 36% favoured compulsory registration of horses. Most respondents reported owning some other animal species. There is a wide variation in horse breeds used in different activities by Australian horse owners. There are regional differences in various management systems. There needs to be considerable improvement in the collection and recording of information to improve the validity and reliability of horse industry data. © 2016 Australian Veterinary Association.

Spheres of SA Government, responsibilities and delivery

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Oelofse, Suzanna HH

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The institutional framework for government in South Africa was established in 1996 with the adoption of the first democratic Constitution. National, provincial and local government was established as three elected spheres of government, each...

Homeopathy in rural Australian primary health care: a survey of general practitioner referral and practice in rural and regional New South Wales, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wardle, J; Adams, J; Sibbritt, D

2013-07-01

Homeopathy has attracted considerable recent attention from the Australian conventional medical community. However, despite such increased attention there has been little exploration of the interface between homeopathy and Australian conventional medical practice. This article addresses this research gap by exploring homeopathic practice and referral by rural and regional Australian general practitioners (GPs). A 27-item questionnaire was sent to all 1486 GPs currently practising in rural and regional New South Wales, Australia (response rate 40.7%). Few GPs in this study utilised homeopathy in their personal practice, with only 0.5% of GPs prescribing homeopathy in the past 12 months, and 8.5% referring patients for homeopathic treatment at least a few times over the past 12 months. Nearly two-thirds of GPs (63.9%) reported that they would not refer for homeopathy under any circumstances. Being in a remote location, receiving patient requests for homeopathy, observing positive responses from homeopathy previously, using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners as information sources, higher levels of knowledge of homeopathy, and being interested in increasing CAM knowledge were all independently predictive of increased referral to homeopathy amongst GPs in this study. GPs in this study were less likely to refer to homeopathy if they used peer-reviewed literature as the major source of their information on CAM. Homeopathy is not integrated significantly in rural general practice either via GP utilisation or referral. There is significant opposition to homeopathy referral amongst rural and regional GPs, though some level of interaction with homeopathic providers exists. Copyright © 2013 The Faculty of Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PREVALENCE AND PATHOLOGIC FEATURES OF CHLAMYDIA PECORUM INFECTIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN KOALAS (PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS).

Science.gov (United States)

Speight, K Natasha; Polkinghorne, Adam; Penn, Rachel; Boardman, Wayne; Timms, Peter; Fraser, Tamieka; Johnson, Kathryn; Faull, Rachel; Bate, Sarah; Woolford, Lucy

2016-04-28

Chlamydia pecorum infection is highly prevalent in many koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) populations in the eastern states of Australia, causing ocular and urogenital tract disease. In contrast, the current prevalence of chlamydiosis in South Australian (SA) koalas is largely unknown, with few reports of clinical cases. We examined 65 SA rescued wild koalas at necropsy and collected ocular and urogenital swabs for the detection of C. pecorum by PCR. We detected C. pecorum in ocular or urogenital swabs from 57 koalas (88%), and 34 koalas were positive at both ocular and urogenital sites. Clinically overt chlamydial disease was present in only 12 (21%) positive koalas. Gross lesions were often externally inapparent as they affected the urogenital tract (n=5), and 24 infected koalas had microscopically evident lesions only. Lesions were predominantly mild and included conjunctivitis, cystitis, and urethritis. Reproductive tract disease was infrequently observed. We detected C. pecorum in 16 (28%) koalas with no evidence of chlamydial disease, suggesting the presence of subclinical carriers in this population. Based on these findings, chlamydiosis has a higher occurrence in SA koala populations than previously thought, but is most often mild and does not always result in overt clinical disease; inapparent and subclinical infections appear common. Further studies of the prevalence in wild-caught SA koalas are needed along with research into the host and bacterial factors that may influence disease outcome in these animals.

Heath Sector Network Governance and State-building in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Science.gov (United States)

Bwimana, Aembe

2017-12-01

Longstanding patterns of interaction exist between state and non-state actors seeking to improve public health in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC is a weak state, and, in many cases, private actors have stepped in to fill the void created by the lack of state health care provision. However, the role of these interactions in creating a governance network in the health sector has been underexplored. Using data from 18 months of qualitative field research, this study aimed to explore governance networks in DRC's health sector, examining how multiple stakeholders work to manage the health system and how the resulting governance network has been relevant for the state-building process. The findings demonstrate that the health sector in South Kivu is emerging as an arena of networked governance based on active partnerships between state institutions and non-state actors. Interactions between state and non-state actors account for the persistence of the health sector in a setting characterized by state weakness. However, networked governance does not function optimally, because, although non-state interventions fill the void where the state falls short, the DRC state has faced the challenge of interacting with partners with fragmented and horizontally competing agendas. Although weak, the shadow of state authority is present in the arena of stakeholders' interactions, as the state plays a determining role by providing a regulatory framework. Overall, the findings show that the interactive engagement of non-state actors contributes to improving institutional capacity through these actors' engagement with state institutions for health system management and institutional development. However, although networked health sector governance does contribute to state capacity, it is difficult to assess the real influence of these interactions on the state-building process in a context of critical fragility, where coordination and alignment have been problematic. © The

Livestock greenhouse gas emissions inventory of South Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lindeque

The methodology utilized is based on the Australian national greenhouse account's ... dairy industry and calculated from the number of dairy producers per province .... provincial basis were sourced from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the ...

Compliance with best practice governance principles of South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The heightened interest in sport shown by politicians, legislators, sponsors and government carries with it an inherent demand to justify long-term sustainability as well as compliance with best-practice corporate governance principles. A questionnaire based on the seven pillars of good corporate governance identified in ...

The impact of Australian ETS news on wholesale spot electricity prices. An exploratory analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevallier, Julien

2010-01-01

This article investigates the impact of news concerning the development of emissions trading in Australia (such as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)) on wholesale electricity spot prices, by using a database of 117 news announcements from December 1, 1998 to July 1, 2009. As power producers constitute the bulk of the participants of the proposed Australian emissions trading scheme, regulatory changes (about allocation, banking, coverage, targets) are indeed likely to affect the five interconnected electricity markets in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. We assess these effects with an ARMA(1,1)-GARCH(1,1) model, where daily electricity spot prices are regressed against exogenous variables in the mean and variance equations. This article constitutes the first empirical analysis of Australian ETS news effects on electricity wholesale spot prices. Our results show two asymmetric types of news effects, depending on their information content. (author)

The impact of Australian ETS news on wholesale spot electricity prices. An exploratory analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chevallier, Julien [Universite Paris Dauphine, Place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 75775 Paris Cedex 16 (France)

2010-08-15

This article investigates the impact of news concerning the development of emissions trading in Australia (such as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)) on wholesale electricity spot prices, by using a database of 117 news announcements from December 1, 1998 to July 1, 2009. As power producers constitute the bulk of the participants of the proposed Australian emissions trading scheme, regulatory changes (about allocation, banking, coverage, targets) are indeed likely to affect the five interconnected electricity markets in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. We assess these effects with an ARMA(1,1)-GARCH(1,1) model, where daily electricity spot prices are regressed against exogenous variables in the mean and variance equations. This article constitutes the first empirical analysis of Australian ETS news effects on electricity wholesale spot prices. Our results show two asymmetric types of news effects, depending on their information content. (author)

The impact of Australian ETS news on wholesale spot electricity prices: An exploratory analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chevallier, Julien, E-mail: julien.chevallier@dauphine.f [Universite Paris Dauphine, Place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 75775 Paris Cedex 16 (France)

2010-08-15

This article investigates the impact of news concerning the development of emissions trading in Australia (such as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)) on wholesale electricity spot prices, by using a database of 117 news announcements from December 1, 1998 to July 1, 2009. As power producers constitute the bulk of the participants of the proposed Australian emissions trading scheme, regulatory changes (about allocation, banking, coverage, targets) are indeed likely to affect the five interconnected electricity markets in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. We assess these effects with an ARMA(1,1)-GARCH(1,1) model, where daily electricity spot prices are regressed against exogenous variables in the mean and variance equations. This article constitutes the first empirical analysis of Australian ETS news effects on electricity wholesale spot prices. Our results show two asymmetric types of news effects, depending on their information content.

Xenophobic societal attitudes in a “new” South Africanism: Governance of public perceptions, national identities and citizenship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johannes Tsheola

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article argues that xenophobia is not a natural state of being for any society; instead, it is a product of socialisation which becomes excessive with violent abuses of the out- group immigrants where such conduct is institutionalised through state apparatus. In this context, post-apartheid South Africanisms cannot be generalised as intrinsically xenophobic because the dreadful societal attitudes and violent abuses are evidently products of institutionalized governance for socialization of public perceptions of hostilities and animosities through the politics and struggles of politico-socio-economic resources. The coinage and officialdom of rainbowism was admission that construction of a new national identity around culture was a virtual impossibility; and, the result was usurpation of exclusionary citizenship that came to define insiders away from outsiders. This notion of citizenship promised access to state and pubic resources, which did not materialise, leading to frustration against government and targeting of out-group African immigrants. Hence, the apparent “felt” collective threat among in-group communities against out-group immigrants over the untenable alibi of job and women stealing as well as acceptance of below minimum wages are inherently functions of irrational jealousy. This article frames this argument through a rigorous examination of the theorisation of xenophobia as “new racism”, models of governance of xenophobic societal attitudes for public hostilities, animosities and violent abuse. Furthermore, it examines constructions of new South Africanism, African Renaissance, exclusionary citizenship, exceptionalism, differentness and the society’s frustration with politico-socio-economic resources exclusionism amidst constitutional inclusivity, tolerance, cultural pluralism, inviolate human rights and the political elitism’s hyperbolic public stunts of a better life for all.

Australian radiation therapy – Part two: Reflections of the past, the present, the future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merchant, Susan [Radiation Oncology Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA (Australia); Curtin Health Innovative Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA (Australia); Halkett, Georgia [Curtin Health Innovative Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA (Australia); Sale, Charlotte [Radiation Oncology, Andrew Love Cancer Centre, Barwon Health, Geelong, Vic. (Australia); Radiation Oncology Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA (Australia); Collaboration: Grad Cert Grief & Pall Care Counselling, MIR

2014-02-15

Introduction: Documentation on the history of Australian radiotherapy is limited. This study provides radiation therapists' (RTs) perspectives of the people, workplace, and work practices in Australian radiotherapy centres from 1960 onwards. It provides a follow-up to our previous study: Australian radiation therapy: An overview – Part one, which outlines the history and development of radiotherapy from conception until present day. Methods: Four focus groups were conducted on separate occasions in 2010, one in South Australia and three in Victoria, Australia. Participants who worked in radiotherapy were purposively selected to ensure a range of experience, age, and years of work. Results: From a RT perspective, radiotherapy has evolved from a physically demanding ‘hands-on’ work environment, often with unpleasant sights and smells of disease, to a more technology-driven workplace. Conclusion: Understanding these changes and their subsequent effects on the role of Australian RTs will assist future directions in advanced role development.

Australian radiation therapy – Part two: Reflections of the past, the present, the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merchant, Susan; Halkett, Georgia; Sale, Charlotte

2014-01-01

Introduction: Documentation on the history of Australian radiotherapy is limited. This study provides radiation therapists' (RTs) perspectives of the people, workplace, and work practices in Australian radiotherapy centres from 1960 onwards. It provides a follow-up to our previous study: Australian radiation therapy: An overview – Part one, which outlines the history and development of radiotherapy from conception until present day. Methods: Four focus groups were conducted on separate occasions in 2010, one in South Australia and three in Victoria, Australia. Participants who worked in radiotherapy were purposively selected to ensure a range of experience, age, and years of work. Results: From a RT perspective, radiotherapy has evolved from a physically demanding ‘hands-on’ work environment, often with unpleasant sights and smells of disease, to a more technology-driven workplace. Conclusion: Understanding these changes and their subsequent effects on the role of Australian RTs will assist future directions in advanced role development

The Australian radiation protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macnab, D.; Burn, P.; Rubendra, R.

1998-01-01

The author talks about the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), the new regulatory authority which will combine the existing resources of the Australian Radiation Laboratory and the Nuclear Safety Bureau. Most uses of radiation in Australia are regulated by State or Territory authorities, but there is presently no regulatory authority for Commonwealth uses of radiation. To provide for regulation of the radiation practices of the Commonwealth, the Australian Government has decided to establish the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and a Bill has passed through the House of Representatives and will go to the Spring sitting of the Senate. The new agency will subsume the resources and functions of the Nuclear Safety Bureau and the Australian Radiation Laboratory, with additional functions including the regulation of radiation protection and nuclear safety of Commonwealth practices. Another function of ARPANSA will be the promotion of uniform regulatory requirements for radiation protection across Australia. This will be done by developing, in consultation with the States and Territories, radiation health policies and practices for adoption by the Commonwealth, States and Territories. ARPANSA will also provide research and services for radiation health, and in support of the regulatory and uniformity functions. The establishment of ARPANSA will ensure that the proposed replacement research reactor, the future low level radioactive waste repository and other Commonwealth nuclear facilities and radiation practices are subject to a regulatory regime which reflects the accumulated experience of the States and Territories and best international practice, and meets public expectations

Report on environmental radiation monitoring associated with visits to Australian ports by nuclear powered warships in 1980; and, amendments to the guidelines for environmental radiation monitoring during visits of nuclear powered warships to Australian ports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-04-01

The Australian Government requires that an environmental radiation monitoring program be carried out in association with visits of nuclear ships to Australian ports. The objectives and requirements of the program are summarised and the results of the marine environmental sampling program undertaken at berths are presented, together with radiation measurements taken during visits. During 1980, no releases of radioactive material were detected, nor were any radiation measurements recorded in excess of natural background levels

Beyond rhetoric: South-South collaboration for REDD+

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nhantumbo, Isilda; MacQueen, Duncan

2011-11-15

Global debates about reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and promoting conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) emphasise the need for strategies to build on existing knowledge. In one example of South-South collaboration to do just this, IIED has helped facilitate a Mozambique-Brazil partnership to share expertise and create a unique REDD+ working group. The initiative provides key lessons for other countries contemplating South-South collaboration on REDD+, including the need for charismatic champions, continuity in government representation, and integration across sectors.

[HIV/AIDS in South Africa and Haiti: the failure of epidemic governance and achievement of the MDGs].

Science.gov (United States)

Thelot, Fils-Lien Ely

2009-01-01

Since their adoption in 2000 by the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals set for 2015 appear to have become a part of the policy agenda of all of the member states. Three of these eight objectives deal with health issues. "Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases": this is the formulation of the sixth MDG. Observing that in many countries strongly affected by poverty and inequalities, the epidemic continues to spread, without really reversing at all, and that access to antiretrovirals is possible for only a small proportion of the patient who need them, we consider the problems of global governance in the field of health. Our intention is to explain that the failure to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic may constitute an obstacle to the achievement of the MDGs by 2015. Proposing a comprehensive sociology of HIV/AIDS, this article pays special attention to the dimension of the meaning of the disease, simultaneously as a policy issue, a social construction, and an object of study in the social sciences. Looking at the two countries most affected by the epidemic in Africa and in the Caribbean, we examine the different aspects that have determined the failure of governance and the effects of this failure on the populations concerned. The excessive conflictuality in South Africa and the biopolitics of "let them die" and the fragmentation of the networks involved in the combat in Haiti are considered to have contributed to a crisis in the epidemic's governance. In both cases, the consequences have been expressed by a reduced life expectancy, insufficient access to antiretroviral drugs, reinforcement of the socioeconomic inequalities of health, the production of new pockets of poverty, more fragile household and national economies, an increase in maternal and child mortality ... The failure of the governance of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in countries such as Haiti and South Africa appears to foretell the impossibility of achieving the MDGs by 2015.

Values Education as Good Practice Pedagogy: Evidence from Australian Empirical Research

Science.gov (United States)

Lovat, Terence

2017-01-01

This article focuses on the Australian Government's Values Education Program and, within its context, the "Values Education Good Practice Schools Project" (VEGPSP) Reports and the "Project to Test and Measure the Impact of Values Education on Student Effects and School Ambience," funded federally from 2003 to 2010. Findings…

Have Recent Financial Reforms Improved Financial Accountability in the Australian Commonwealth Public Sector?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Bowrey

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Since the early 1990s the Australian Commonwealth public sector has undergone significant financialreforms, due primarily to the current federal Liberal government’s drive to improve the financialaccountability of the Commonwealth Government. These reforms include the adoption of accrualaccounting and budgeting and the development and implementation of an outcomes and outputs framework.These reforms culminated in the first full federal budget to be developed on an accrual basis in 1999 – 2000.This paper will examine the implementation of these reforms and the associated processes to determinewhether or not the Commonwealth government is more financially transparent and better able to dischargeits financial accountability. It is argued the complexity of the processes associated with, and the reportingrequirements of these reforms may have actually decreased the level of accountability to the key party towhom accountability is due — the Australian public.

Real-world outcomes of unrestricted direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C in Australia: The South Australian statewide experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Haridy, James; Wigg, Alan; Muller, Kate; Ramachandran, Jeyamani; Tilley, Emma; Waddell, Victoria; Gordon, David; Shaw, David; Huynh, Dep; Stewart, Jeffrey; Nelson, Renjy; Warner, Morgyn; Boyd, Mark; Chinnaratha, Mohamed A; Harding, Damian; Ralton, Lucy; Colman, Anton; Liew, Danny; Iyngkaran, Guru; Tse, Edmund

2018-06-11

In March 2016, the Australian government offered unrestricted access to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) to the entire population. This included prescription by any medical practitioner in consultation with specialists until sufficient experience was attained. We sought to determine the outcomes and experience over the first twelve-months for the entire state of South Australia. We performed a prospective, observational study following outcomes of all treatments associated with the state's four main tertiary centres. 1909 subjects initiating DAA therapy were included, representing an estimated 90% of all treatments in the state. Overall, SVR12 was 80.4% in all subjects intended for treatment and 95.7% in those completing treatment and follow-up. 14.2% were lost to follow-up (LTFU) and did not complete SVR12 testing. LTFU was independently associated with community treatment via remote consultation (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.04-2.18, p=0.03), prison-based treatment (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.08-3.79, p=0.03) and younger age (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, p=0.05). Of the 1534 subjects completing treatment and follow-up, decreased likelihood of SVR12 was associated with genotype 2 (OR 0.23,95% CI 0.07-0.74, p=0.01) and genotype 3 (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.12-0.43, p=<0.01). A significant decrease in treatment initiation was observed over the twelve-month period in conjunction with a shift from hospital to community-based treatment. Our findings support the high responses observed in clinical trials, however a significant gap exists in SVR12 in our real-world cohort due to LTFU. A declining treatment initiation rate and shift to community-based treatment highlights the need to explore additional strategies to identify, treat and follow-up remaining patients in order to achieve elimination targets. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of the Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program.

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Roberts-Witteveen, April R; Patel, Mahomed S; Roche, Paul W

2008-09-01

The Australian Rotavirus Serotyping Program (ARSP) serotypes rotavirus isolates obtained from stool samples sent from Australian laboratories. In collaboration with ARSP the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing evaluated the program for its utility and capacity to monitor effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccines recently introduced into the Australian National Immunisation Program. The system was described using ARSP annual reports and staff interviews. The attributes of the system were assessed by adapting standard guidelines for evaluating a surveillance system. Email surveys or face to face interviews were conducted with staff of ARSP, participating laboratories, rotavirus vaccine manufacturing companies and representatives of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia. The ability of the ARSP to monitor changes in rotavirus serotype epidemiology was assessed. ARSP serotypes rotavirus isolates received from participating laboratories at least bi-annually, with results being reported at least as often. Serotype analyses have informed formulation of rotavirus vaccines and contributed to forecasting the extent of outbreaks caused by novel serotypes. The ARSP will be able to monitor changes in rotavirus serotype epidemiology and identify probable vaccination failures. Enhancement of the representativeness and sensitivity of the system are needed for the data to remain useful in the public health context. Methods for transferring data between the program and state and territory health departments need to be developed.

A new genus and species of Australian Tanypodinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) tolerant to mine waste.

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Cranston, Peter S

2017-05-09

For over 25 years an undescribed Tanypodinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) has been known to dominate the lotic invertebrate assemblage associated with long-term polluting mine adits in Captains Flat, on the Molonglo River, southern New South Wales, Australia. Although known in all life stages, it has been impossible to allocate the species to any described genus. Renewed interest in the taxonomy of the Tanypodinae, particularly associated with molecular investigations and pollution indicator status warrants formal description. All stages conform to tribe Pentaneurini, but each life stage differs in morphological resemblance. Yarrhpelopia Cranston gen. n. is proposed for the taxon previously referred to under the informal code name of 'genus A'. The genus name derives from south-east Australian aboriginal word yarrh, in recognition of its core distribution and presence in flowing waters. A single species, A. norrisi Cranston sp. n., is described, acknowledging the late Professor Richard Norris, an influential Australian limnologist. Larvae dominate the benthos immediately adjacent to mine adits that continue to leach heavy metals (zinc, cadmium, copper and lead) into downstream sediments. A wider distribution includes cleaner near pristine, eastern Australian rivers between 30° and 42°S, but these records are excluded from the type series pending molecular insights into species limits.

Australian Strategic Approaches to Managing National and State Diversity

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Lesleyanne Hawthorne

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Australia is a global exemplar of nation-building through government planned and administered skilled, family and humanitarian migration programs. By 2011 26% of the population were immigrants, at a time when extraordinary linguistic, religious, racial and cultural diversity were evident. The federal government’s role since the 1901 establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia has spanned migration policy formation, selection, admission, compliance and naturalization functions. The settlement responsibilities of the eight state and territory governments have also grown – a process facilitated by generally amicable federal – subnational relations. Within this context this article describes contemporary Australian approaches to managing linguistic, religious and artistic diversity, comparing federal and state government roles in a period associated with significant multicultural challenges.

To Russia with love: how the Australian Government's much vaunted safeguards policy has been watered down, step by step

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milliken, R.

1981-01-01

Australia's uranium safeguards policy was announced in May 1977. The following conditions were included: no contracts could be signed until safeguards agreements had been concluded; uranium sold must remain Australian owned until it had been processed into a form attracting IAEA safeguards inspection; and prior Australian consent was required before a customer could reprocess Australian uranium, transfer it to a third country, or enrich it to a grade higher than that needed for normal power plants. Australia has signed 9 safeguards agreements and two more are due to be finalised soon. The author discusses changes in policy since the first agreement was signed. One problem has been conflict between commercial and safeguards issues

Divergent stakeholder views of corporate social responsibility in the Australian forest plantation sector.

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Gordon, Melissa; Lockwood, Michael; Vanclay, Frank; Hanson, Dallas; Schirmer, Jacki

2012-12-30

Although the Australian forest plantation industry acknowledges that there is a role for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in forest management, there is confusion as to what this constitutes in practice. This paper describes the conflicts between internal and external stakeholder views on CSR in plantation forestry. We conducted in-depth interviews with key informants across three plantation management regions in Australia: Tasmania, the Green Triangle and south-west Western Australia. We interviewed a range of stakeholders including forest company employees, local councils, Indigenous representatives, and environmental non-government organisations. CSR-related initiatives that stakeholders believed were important for plantation management included the need for community engagement, accountability towards stakeholders, and contribution to community development and well-being. Although there was wide support for these initiatives, some stakeholders were not satisfied that forest companies were actively implementing them. Due to the perception that forest companies are not committed to CSR initiatives such as community engagement, some stakeholder expectations are not being satisfied. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What makes a ‘National’ War Memorial? The Case of the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial

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Lachlan Grant

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was unveiled in Ballarat to great fanfare in February 2004. Struggling to overcome serious setbacks in order to raise the necessary funds to construct the $2 million memorial over more than a period of four years, the memorial, listing the names of all Australian prisoners of war from all conflicts was judged by the Federal Government to be nothing but a ‘local’ memorial rather than a ‘national’ memorial. The article investigates whether this issue is at all associated with the ambiguity and difficulty of incorporating prisoners of war into the Anzac legend or whether there were other factors at hand deciding the official ‘national’ status of the first war memorial to list the names of all Australian prisoners of war. The importance of this issue reveals how government bureaucracy and party politics can influence the future and potential public significance of a war memorial.

The presence of opportunistic pathogens, Legionella spp., L. pneumophila and Mycobacterium avium complex, in South Australian reuse water distribution pipelines.

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Whiley, H; Keegan, A; Fallowfield, H; Bentham, R

2015-06-01

Water reuse has become increasingly important for sustainable water management. Currently, its application is primarily constrained by the potential health risks. Presently there is limited knowledge regarding the presence and fate of opportunistic pathogens along reuse water distribution pipelines. In this study opportunistic human pathogens Legionella spp., L. pneumophila and Mycobacterium avium complex were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction along two South Australian reuse water distribution pipelines at maximum concentrations of 10⁵, 10³ and 10⁵ copies/mL, respectively. During the summer period of sampling the concentration of all three organisms significantly increased (P < 0.05) along the pipeline, suggesting multiplication and hence viability. No seasonality in the decrease in chlorine residual along the pipelines was observed. This suggests that the combination of reduced chlorine residual and increased water temperature promoted the presence of these opportunistic pathogens.

Evaluation of current Australian health service accreditation processes (ACCREDIT-CAP): protocol for a mixed-method research project.

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Hinchcliff, Reece; Greenfield, David; Moldovan, Max; Pawsey, Marjorie; Mumford, Virginia; Westbrook, Johanna Irene; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

Accreditation programmes aim to improve the quality and safety of health services, and have been widely implemented. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the outcomes of existing programmes. The Accreditation Collaborative for the Conduct of Research, Evaluation and Designated Investigations through Teamwork-Current Accreditation Processes (ACCREDIT-CAP) project is designed to address key gaps in the literature by evaluating the current processes of three accreditation programmes used across Australian acute, primary and aged care services. The project comprises three mixed-method studies involving documentary analyses, surveys, focus groups and individual interviews. Study samples will comprise stakeholders from across the Australian healthcare system: accreditation agencies; federal and state government departments; consumer advocates; professional colleges and associations; and staff of acute, primary and aged care services. Sample sizes have been determined to ensure results allow robust conclusions. Qualitative information will be thematically analysed, supported by the use of textual grouping software. Quantitative data will be subjected to a variety of analytical procedures, including descriptive and comparative statistics. The results are designed to inform health system policy and planning decisions in Australia and internationally. The project has been approved by the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number HREC 10274). Results will be reported to partner organisations, healthcare consumers and other stakeholders via peer-reviewed publications, conference and seminar presentations, and a publicly accessible website.

A Methodology to Institutionalise User Experience in Provincial Government

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Marco Cobus Pretorius

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Problems experienced with website usability can prevent users from accessing and adopting technology, such as e-Government. At present, a number of guidelines exist for e-Government website user experience (UX design; however, the effectiveness of the implementation of these guidelines depends on the expertise of the website development team and on an organisation’s understanding of UX. Despite the highlighted importance of UX, guidelines are rarely applied in South African e-Government website designs. UX guidelines cannot be implemented if there is a lack of executive support, trained staff, budget and user-centred design processes. The goal of this research is to propose and evaluate a methodology (called the “Institutionalise UX in Government (IUXG methodology” to institutionalise UX in South African Provincial Governments (SAPGs. The Western Cape Government in South Africa was used as a case study to evaluate the proposed IUXG methodology. The results show that the IUXG methodology can assist SAPGs to establish UX as standard practice and improve the UX maturity levels.

The Effect of IFRS Adoption on the Financial Reports of Local Government Entities

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Kamran Ahmed

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to analyse the changes in accounting surplus (loss, equity and assets, and liabilities as a result of accounting policy changes from the Australian Accounting Standards (AAS to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS in Australian local government entities. Using the reconciliation notes disclosed by 117 local government entities, evidence is provided on the effects of IFRS adoption by identifying the key items that of difference between IFRS and AASB. The results show some differences between two sets of accounts prepared under these different accounting standards. While the average surplus (loss of local councils has decreased, their equities, assets and liabilities have increased, with no major significant changes in their overall financial position, except for liabilities. These results indicate the possible consequences of the adoption of IFRS by local government entities in other countries on performance indicators who have or are yet to implement these standards.

Variations in breast tangent radiotherapy: a survey of practice in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veness, M.J.; Delaney, G.; Berry, M.

1999-01-01

The breast is a complex anatomical structure where achieving a homogeneous dose distribution with radiation treatment is difficult. Despite obvious similarities in the approach to such treatment (using tangents) there is variation in the process of simulation, planning and treatment between radiation oncologists. Previous Australasian studies in the treatment of lung cancer, prostate cancer and Hodgkin's disease highlighted considerable variation in many areas of treatment. As part of a multicentre breast phantom study involving 10 radiation oncology departments throughout New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), a 22-question survey was distributed. The aim of the survey was to assess the extent of variation in the approach to the simulation, planning and treatment of early breast cancer using tangents. Responses from 10 different radiation oncology departments revealed variation in most areas of the survey. There is no reason to assume similar variations do not occur Australasia wide. Studies involving overseas radiation oncologists also reveal a wide variation in treating early breast cancer. The consequences of such variations remain unclear. Copyright (1999) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

Observations of red-giant variable stars by Aboriginal Australians

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Hamacher, Duane W.

2018-04-01

Aboriginal Australians carefully observe the properties and positions of stars, including both overt and subtle changes in their brightness, for subsistence and social application. These observations are encoded in oral tradition. I examine two Aboriginal oral traditions from South Australia that describe the periodic changing brightness in three pulsating, red-giant variable stars: Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri), and Antares (Alpha Scorpii). The Australian Aboriginal accounts stand as the only known descriptions of pulsating variable stars in any Indigenous oral tradition in the world. Researchers examining these oral traditions over the last century, including anthropologists and astronomers, missed the description of these stars as being variable in nature as the ethnographic record contained several misidentifications of stars and celestial objects. Arguably, ethnographers working on Indigenous Knowledge Systems should have academic training in both the natural and social sciences.

Argument for Inclusion of Strongyloidiasis in the Australian National Notifiable Disease List

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Meruyert Beknazarova

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Strongyloidiasis is an infection caused by the helminth, Strongyloides stercoralis. Up to 370 million people are infected with the parasite globally, and it has remained endemic in the Indigenous Australian population for many decades. Strongyloidiasis has been also reported in other Australian populations. Ignorance of this disease has caused unnecessary costs to the government health system, and been detrimental to the Australian people’s health. This manuscript addresses the 12 criteria required for a disease to be included in the Australian National Notifiable Disease List (NNDL under the National Health Security Act 2007 (Commonwealth. There are six main arguments that provide compelling justification for strongyloidiasis to be made nationally notifiable and added to the Australian NNDL. These are: The disease is important to Indigenous health, and closing the health inequity gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is a priority; a public health response is required to detect cases of strongyloidiasis and to establish the true incidence and prevalence of the disease; there is no alternative national surveillance system to gather data on the disease; there are preventive measures with high efficacy and low side effects; data collection is feasible as cases are definable by microscopy, PCR, or serological diagnostics; and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG # 6 on clean water and sanitation.

The Role of Government Public Relations As Facilitators Communication in Bureau of Public Relation at South Kalimantan Province

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Belinda Devi Larasati Siswanto

2016-07-01

Full Text Available As the windows of information, communication facilitator role in Government Public Relation (GPR serve as all-in-and-out of information from or to publics. For that, this research be held to find about the communication facilitator role on GPR of South Kalimantan Provincial Government. This research intends to knowing communication facilitator role to provide information to people and otherwise. This research uses qualitative approach with descriptive case study method, the data collection through observation and depth interview with informants purposively selection. The research result showing the communication facilitator role in GPR Bureau is not optimal, caused by unavailable information who can be accessed by the public or the otherwise. Government Information which should can be accessed at government official website or at the social media not be optimized by the GPR Bureau well as the Main Information Management and Documentation Officer (IMDO whose role is held by the GPR Bureau of the information that should be accessible through the website, is not available. This contrasts with some Local Work Unit function only a Subsidiary IMDO, but they were ready to provide information to the public through a website managed

(Im)moral Education in South Australia.

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Partington, Geoffrey

1984-01-01

Moral relativism, spearheaded by values clarification techniques, has transformed the ethos of South Australian schools. The theory and practice of innovative pedagogy in the realm of moral values is critiqued. Suggestions as to how a secular system of education can avoid moral anarchy without relapsing into ideological indoctrination are made.…

Disparities in acute in-hospital cardiovascular care for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians.

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Tavella, Rosanna; McBride, Katharine; Keech, Wendy; Kelly, Janet; Rischbieth, Amanda; Zeitz, Christopher; Beltrame, John F; Tideman, Philip A; Brown, Alex

2016-09-05

To assess differences in the rates of angiography and subsequent revascularisation for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians who presented with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS); to explore the reasons for any observed differences. Analysis of administrative data with logistic regression modelling to assess the relationship between Aboriginal status and the decision to undertake diagnostic angiography. A detailed medical record review of Aboriginal admissions was subsequently undertaken. Emergency ACS admissions to SA cardiac catheterisation hospitals, 2007-2012. 13 701 admissions of patients with an ACS, including 274 Aboriginal patients (2.1%). Rates of coronary angiography and revascularisation; documentation of justification for non-invasive management. After adjustment for age, comorbidities and remoteness, Aboriginal patients presenting with an ACS were significantly less likely than non-Aboriginal patients to undergo angiography (odds ratio [OR], 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3-0.5; P Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients who had undergone angiography. Reasons for Aboriginal patients not undergoing angiography included symptoms being deemed non-cardiac (16%), non-invasive test performed (8%), and discharge against medical advice (11%); the reasons were unclear for 36% of Aboriginal patients. After controlling for age and other factors, the rate of coronary angiography was lower among Aboriginal patients with an ACS in SA. The reasons for this disparity are complex, including patient-related factors and their preferences, as well as the appropriateness of the intervention. Improved consideration of the hospital experience of Aboriginal patients must be a priority for reducing health care disparities.

Progress on the national low level radioactive waste repository and national intermediate level waste store

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, C.

2003-01-01

The Australian Government is committed to establishing two purpose-built facilities for the management of Australia's radioactive waste; the national repository for disposal of low level and short-lived intermediate level ('low level') waste, and the national store for storage of long-lived intermediate level ('intermediate level') waste. It is strongly in the interests of public security and safety to secure radioactive waste by disposal or storage in facilities specially designed for this purpose. The current arrangements where waste is stored under ad hoc arrangements at hundreds of sites around Australia does not represent international best practice in radioactive waste management. Environmental approval has been obtained for the national repository to be located at Site 40a, 20 km east of Woomera in South Australia, and licences are currently being sought from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to site, construct and operate the facility. The national repository may be operating in 2004 subject to obtaining the required licences. The national store will be located on Australian Government land and house intermediate level waste produced by Australian Government departments and agencies. The national store will not be located in South Australia. Short-listing of potentially suitable sites is expected to be completed soon

Building an Internet of Samples: The Australian Contribution

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Wyborn, Lesley; Klump, Jens; Bastrakova, Irina; Devaraju, Anusuriya; McInnes, Brent; Cox, Simon; Karssies, Linda; Martin, Julia; Ross, Shawn; Morrissey, John; Fraser, Ryan

2017-04-01

Physical samples are often the ground truth to research reported in the scientific literature across multiple domains. They are collected by many different entities (individual researchers, laboratories, government agencies, mining companies, citizens, museums, etc.). Samples must be curated over the long-term to ensure both that their existence is known, and to allow any data derived from them through laboratory and field tests to be linked to the physical samples. For example, having unique identifiers that link back ground truth data on the original sample helps calibrate large volumes of remotely sensed data. Access to catalogues of reliably identified samples from several collections promotes collaboration across all Earth Science disciplines. It also increases the cost effectiveness of research by reducing the need to re-collect samples in the field. The assignment of web identifiers to the digital representations of these physical objects allows us to link to data, literature, investigators and institutions, thus creating an "Internet of Samples". An Australian implementation of the "Internet of Samples" is using the IGSN (International Geo Sample Number, http://igsn.github.io) to identify samples in a globally unique and persistent way. IGSN was developed in the solid earth science community and is recommended for sample identification by the Coalition for Publishing Data in the Earth and Space Sciences (COPDESS). IGSN is interoperable with other persistent identifier systems such as DataCite. Furthermore, the basic IGSN description metadata schema is compatible with existing schemas such as OGC Observations and Measurements (O&M) and DataCite Metadata Schema which makes crosswalks to other metadata schemas easy. IGSN metadata is disseminated through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) allowing it to be aggregated in other applications such as portals (e.g. the Australian IGSN catalogue http://igsn2.csiro.au). The

A Virtual Organisation Model for E-Government

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Janice Bum

2002-05-01

Full Text Available This paper looks at the implementation of a new customer value alliance model in e-govemment. Firstly we review the issues of e-govemment and the drive towards customer centric organisations in the context of multiple government agencies. A model of e-Government is introduced and examined within the context of a virtual organisation model which can be applied along the customer value chain across multiple service agencies. A case study is used to demonstrate how this concept of a virtual organisation as a customer value-alliance model can effect a successful transition to e-Govemment from a traditional Government model. Finally, we examine how the Aboriginal Affairs Department, a Western Australian Government agency is implementing this model for improved customer service and the implications of this model for the management of change in a developing e-community.

PCR Screening of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Faecal Samples from Australian and Chinese Children.

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Ravensdale, Joshua T; Xian, Darren Ten Wei; Wei, Chooi Ming; Lv, Quanjun; Wen, Xiajian; Guo, Jing; Coorey, Ranil; LeSouëf, Peter; Lu, Fengmin; Zhang, Brad; Dykes, Gary A

2018-03-31

Recent public awareness campaigns on the risk of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes has placed pressure on governments to enforce stricter antimicrobial stewardship policies on the hospital and agricultural industry. This study aimed to screen faecal samples from Australian and Chinese children for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes to identify demographics at risk of carriage of these genes and examine antimicrobial stewardship policies from the two countries which may influence carriage. Faecal samples from 46 Australian and 53 Chinese children were screened for the presence of six clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes using PCR. Clinical and demographic data was also collected from each patient. Over 90% of faecal samples from Chinese children tested positive for β-lactam, macrolide, tetracycline, and aminoglycoside resistance genes, which was substantially higher than Australian samples. Besides country of origin, no clear trend could be seen to predict carriage of resistance genes. The exception to this was Chinese born children who immigrated to Australia having higher rates of carriage for bla TEM and tetM genes than children born and still living in Australia. These data indicated that Chinese children were more likely to carry certain antibiotic resistance genes than Australian children. The Chinese government has recently implemented strict policies to control the overuse of antibiotics in hospitals. However, many of these policies do not extend to the agricultural industry which could explain the differences seen in this study. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Feasibility of establishing an Australian ACL registry: a pilot study by the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR).

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Lekkas, Christina; Clarnette, Richard; Graves, Stephen E; Rainbird, Sophia; Parker, David; Lorimer, Michelle; Paterson, Roger; Roe, Justin; Morris, Hayden; Feller, Julian A; Annear, Peter; Forster, Ben; Hayes, David

2017-05-01

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common and debilitating injury that impacts significantly on knee function and risks the development of degenerative arthritis. The outcome of ACL surgery is not monitored in Australia. The optimal treatment is unknown. Consequently, the identification of best practice in treating ACL is crucial to the development of improved outcomes. The Australian Knee Society (AKS) asked the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) to consider establishing a national ACL registry. As a first step, a pilot study was undertaken by the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) to test the hypothesis that collecting the required information in the Australian setting was possible. Surgeons completed an operative form which provided comprehensive information on the surgery undertaken. Patients provided pre- and post-operative questionnaires including the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Marx Activity Scale (MA Scale). The number of ACL procedures undertaken at each hospital during the recruitment period was compared against State Government Health Department separation data. A total of 802 patients were recruited from October 2011 to January 2013. The overall capture rate for surgeon-derived data was 99%, and the capture rate for the pre-operative patient questionnaire was 97.9%. At 6 months, patient-reported outcomes were obtained from 55% of patients, and 58.5% of patients at 12 months. When checked against State Government Health Department separation data, 31.3% of procedures undertaken at each study hospital were captured in the study. It is possible to collect surgeon-derived and pre-operative patient-reported data, following ACL reconstruction in Australia. The need to gain patient consent was a limiting factor to participation. When patients did consent to participate in the study, we were able to capture nearly 100% of surgical procedures. Patient consent

Bullying in Australian Schools: The Perceptions of Victims and Other Students

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Rigby, Ken

2017-01-01

Students' perceptions of the nature and prevalence of bullying and how the problem was being addressed were investigated in a convenience sample of 1688 students in years 5-10 attending Australian government schools. Comparisons were made between students who reported that they had been bullied during the previous 12 months and others. Rankings of…

The effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve knowledge and perceptions for reducing organophosphate pesticide exposure among Indonesian and South Australian migrant farmworkers

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Suratman S

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Suratman Suratman,1,2 Kirstin E Ross,1 Kateryna Babina,1 John William Edwards1 1Health and Environment Group, School of the Environment, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 2School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jenderal Soedirman University, Kampus Karangwangkal, Purwokerto, Indonesia Background: Farmworkers are at risk of exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs. Improvements of knowledge and perceptions about organophosphate (OP exposure may be of benefit for the reduction in OP exposure. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve knowledge and perceptions for reducing OP exposure among Indonesian and South Australian (SA migrant farmworkers. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. The educational intervention used a method of group communication for 30 Indonesian farmworkers and individual communication for seven SA migrant farmworkers. Knowledge and perceptions about OP exposure were measured pre-intervention and 3 months after the intervention. Results: Unadjusted intervention effects at follow-up showed statistically significantly improved scores of knowledge (both adverse effects of OPs and self-protection from OP exposure, perceived susceptibility, and perceived barriers among Indonesian farmworkers compared with SA migrant farmworkers. Furthermore, these four significant variables in the unadjusted model and the two other variables (perceived severity and perceived benefits were statistically significant after being adjusted for the level of education and years working as a farmworker. In contrast, knowledge about adverse effects of OPs was the only variable that was statistically significantly improved among SA migrant farmworkers. The results of this study suggests educational interventions using a method of group communication could be more effective than using individual intervention. Conclusion

Regional health governance: A suggested agenda for Southern African health diplomacy.

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Penfold, Erica Dale; Fourie, Pieter

2015-12-01

Regional organisations can effectively promote regional health diplomacy and governance through engagement with regional social policy. Regional bodies make decisions about health challenges in the region, for example, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the World Health Organisation South East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO). The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has a limited health presence as a regional organisation and diplomatic partner in health governance. This article identifies how SADC facilitates and coordinates health policy, arguing that SADC has the potential to promote regional health diplomacy and governance through engagement with regional social policy. The article identifies the role of global health diplomacy and niche diplomacy in health governance. The role of SADC as a regional organisation and the way it functions is then explained, focusing on how SADC engages with health issues in the region. Recommendations are made as to how SADC can play a more decisive role as a regional organisation to implement South-South management of the regional social policy, health governance and health diplomacy agenda.

Australian Experience in Implementing Transport Safety Regulations and Transport Security Recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, S.

2016-01-01

Australian transport safety and security regulatory framework is governed by Commonwealth, State and Territory legislations. There are eleven competent authorities in Australia that includes three Commonwealth authorities, six states and two territory authorities. IAEA Regulations for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (TS-R-1, 2005 edition) is applied through Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Code of Practice for Transport of Radioactive Material 2008 by road, rail and waterways not covered by marine legislations. All states and territories apply this Transport Code through their regulatory system. For air transport, the Civil Aviation Act 1988 adopts the requirements of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air DOC 9284, which also adopts TS-R-1. The security of radioactive material in air transport is achieved via the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004. For sea transport Australian Marine Order 41 applies the requirements of IMDG (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) Code which also adopts TS-R-1. The security of radioactive material (nuclear material) is governed by two Commonwealth Agencies namely, ARPANSA and ASNO (Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office) . ARPANSA regulates the security of radioactive sources through ARPANSA Code of Practice for the Security of Radioactive Sources 2007 which is based on the IAEA Draft Security Series. ASNO regulates security of nuclear material including U, Th and Pu through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Act, and the object of which is to give effect to certain obligations that Australia has as a party to the NPT, Australia’s safeguards agreement with the IAEA, and other bilateral safeguards agreements and certain obligations that Australia has as a party to the Convention for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM). This paper presents the effectiveness of regulatory approaches for safe and secure

Australian lobbyist registers are not serving the purposes they were designed for.

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Robertson, Narelle; Kypri, Kypros; Stafford, Julia; Daube, Mike; Avery, Michelle; Miller, Peter

2017-07-11

There is widespread concern about the nature, extent and impacts of lobbying by industries selling unhealthy commodities, which threatens public health and undermines important democratic processes. In the last decade, all Australian jurisdictions (except the Northern Territory) have established lobbyist registers with the stated objective of increasing the capacity of government and the public to scrutinise lobbying. Our aim was to assess whether the registers are fulfilling this objective. We conducted web searches of registers in Australian jurisdictions in 2014 and 2015 to determine what type of information they collected and whether data were accessible. We supplemented searches with e-mails and phone calls to registrars to clarify policies and seek additional information. We found that the data were lacking in critical details and historical information was difficult or impossible to obtain. None of the registers required in-house lobbyists to register or to be bound by the Lobbying Codes of Conduct. None required that informal lobbying (e.g. by government relations staff within a company) be recorded, and none provided detailed information about the nature and extent of lobbying activities. The registers do not meet the stated objective of making lobbying activity transparent to the Australian public. Timely access to comprehensive information is essential to help promote the rational development of policy concerning tobacco, alcohol and gambling problems. There is an urgent need to reform lobbyist registers to ensure that they are comprehensive and transparent. [Robertson N, Kypri K, Stafford J, Daube M, Avery M, Miller P. Australian lobbyist registers are not serving the purposes they were designed for. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Early Days of Recorder Teaching in South Australian Schools: A Personal History

Science.gov (United States)

Southcott, Jane

2016-01-01

As a primary school student in the 1960s I learnt the recorder. This paper explores how the recorder became a staple of Australian primary school music programs. At that time recorders were comparatively recently revived Renaissance musical instruments that were adopted by music educators as a way for children and their teachers to engage in…

Education and Worker Co-operatives. Some Perspectives of the Australian TAFE Connection.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Denis

The workers' cooperative movement has grown in many countries of Europe, where it is often state-sanctioned and supported. In Australia, however, the movement is just beginning. The government organization of what are called cooperative development programs is the dominant new feature on the Australian worker cooperative scene. However, funding is…

Hidden biases in Australian energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlaepfer, August

2009-01-01

The challenges in developing technology for the capture and storage of CO 2 from coal, oil and gas power generation, as well as those associated with the storage of nuclear waste, are widely regarded as solvable. According to proponents of clean coal, oil and gas technologies, as well as the proponents of nuclear technology, it is only a matter of time and resources to find a solution to their waste problems. Similarly, the Australian Government argues that our main efforts need to be concentrated on clean coal technologies, as well as considering the nuclear option. However, when it comes to the challenges associated with renewable energy technologies, like intermittency of wind generated grid power, storage of electricity from renewable energy and so on, there seems to be an attitude amongst Australian energy planners that these challenges represent insurmountable technical and financial problems, and will, at least in the short to medium term, prevent them from becoming a viable alternative to coal, oil, gas and uranium based energy technologies. (author)

An inventory of the South african fitness industry | Draper | South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The importance of education and training of staff was emphasised by respondents. Conclusions. This report highlights the widespread value of assessing the fitness industry, particularly within the context of the rise of chronic diseases in South Africa and government initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles. South African ...

The perceptions of parents of their role in the democratic governance of schools in South Africa: are they on board?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuzi Mncube

2009-02-01

Full Text Available I argue that parent participation in SGBs is an important ingredient in building democracy in the schooling system, as well as in the wider society of South Africa. At some schools in South Africa, parents are not yet playing their full role as governors mandated by legislation. Parents at some rural schools are reluctant to participate in the decision-making by School Governing Bodies (SGBs as a result of their low educational level or of power struggles in SGBs. In some former model C schools, on the other hand, lack of participation is related to a level of education of parents in general, lack of education on parental involvement in school activities, a fear of ‘academic victimisation' of their children, language barrier, and difficulty in attending meetings. This lack of involvement is at its highest in school governing bodies. It appears therefore that while representation and debate are theoretically open and fair, there are still factors that inhibit SGBs from operating democratically. Although the political control of apartheid has gone, issues related to full democratic participation have not been resolved.

A bibliometric analysis of Australian general practice publications from 1980 to 2007 using PubMed.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendis, Kumara; Kidd, Michael R; Schattner, Peter; Canalese, Joseph

2010-01-01

We analysed Australian general practice (GP) publications in PubMed from 1980 to 2007 to determine journals, authors, publication types, national health priority areas (NHPA) and compared the results with those from three specialties (public health, cardiology and medical informatics) and two countries (the UK and New Zealand). Australian GP publications were downloaded in MEDLINE format using PubMed queries and were written to a Microsoft Access database using a software application. Search Query Language and online PubMed queries were used for further analysis. There were 4777 publications from 1980 to 2007. Australian Family Physician (38.1%) and the Medical Journal of Australia (17.6%) contributed 55.7% of publications. Reviews (12.7%), letters (6.6%), clinical trials (6.5%) and systematic reviews (5%) were the main PubMed publication types. Thirty five percent of publications addressed National Health Priority Areas with material on mental health (13.7%), neoplasms (6.5%) and cardiovascular conditions (5.9%). The comparable numbers of publications for the three specialties were: public health - 80 911, cardiology - 15 130 and medical informatics - 3338; total country GP comparisons were: UK - 14 658 and New Zealand - 1111. Australian GP publications have shown an impressive growth from 1980 to 2007 with a 15-fold increase. This increase may be due in part to the actions of the Australian government over the past decade to financially support research in primary care, as well as the maturing of academic general practice. This analysis can assist governments, researchers, policy makers and others to target resources so that further developments can be encouraged, supported and monitored.

A review of methodologies applied in Australian practice to evaluate long-term coastal adaptation options

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Timothy David Ramm

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rising sea levels have the potential to alter coastal flooding regimes around the world and local governments are beginning to consider how to manage uncertain coastal change. In doing so, there is increasing recognition that such change is deeply uncertain and unable to be reliably described with probabilities or a small number of scenarios. Characteristics of methodologies applied in Australian practice to evaluate long-term coastal adaptation options are reviewed and benchmarked against two state-of-the-art international methods suited for conditions of uncertainty (Robust Decision Making and Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways. Seven out of the ten Australian case studies assumed the uncertain parameters, such as sea level rise, could be described deterministically or stochastically when identifying risk and evaluating adaptation options across multi-decadal periods. This basis is not considered sophisticated enough for long-term decision-making, implying that Australian practice needs to increase the use of scenarios to explore a much larger uncertainty space when assessing the performance of adaptation options. Two Australian case studies mapped flexible adaptation pathways to manage uncertainty, and there remains an opportunity to incorporate quantitative methodologies to support the identification of risk thresholds. The contextual framing of risk, including the approach taken to identify risk (top-down or bottom-up and treatment of uncertain parameters, were found to be fundamental characteristics that influenced the methodology selected to evaluate adaptation options. The small sample of case studies available suggests that long-term coastal adaptation in Australian is in its infancy and there is a timely opportunity to guide local government towards robust methodologies for developing long-term coastal adaptation plans.

Safety Leadership Defined within the Australian Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Daniel, Luke

2015-01-01

This research explores the tenets of safety leadership within the Australian construction environment. The scope of this research aims to establish a universal definition of safety leadership and how it differs from other leadership disciplines. The literature review into this topic was governed by the parent disciplines of Safety and Leadership.  Gaps were identified in the literature that indicated safety leadership is not a well-defined concept and much of the work into safety leadership h...

Status of E-government in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Farelo,M

2006-05-01

Full Text Available -players is recognised as a key priority. This is achieved through a series of intergovernmental consultative workshops and working together with the Government Chief Information Officer Council. The Department of Home Affairs promote the vision on re... of Government Information System is being developed and will be launched in May 2006. This system will require all CIO’s (Chief Information Officers) to fill in information on departments, IT systems, application and projects which will assist in terms...

Recreational impacts on the fauna of Australian coastal marine ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardiman, Nigel; Burgin, Shelley

2010-11-01

This paper reviews recent research into the ecological impacts of recreation and tourism on coastal marine fauna in Australia. Despite the high and growing importance of water-based recreation to the Australian economy, and the known fragility of many Australian ecosystems, there has been relatively limited research into the effects of marine tourism and recreation, infrastructure and activities, on aquatic resources. In this paper we have reviewed the ecological impacts on fauna that are caused by outdoor recreation (including tourism) in Australian coastal marine ecosystems. We predict that the single most potentially severe impact of recreation may be the introduction and/or dispersal of non-indigenous species of marine organisms by recreational vessels. Such introductions, together with other impacts due to human activities have the potential to increasingly degrade recreation destinations. In response, governments have introduced a wide range of legislative tools (e.g., impact assessment, protected area reservation) to manage the recreational industry. It would appear, however, that these instruments are not always appropriately applied. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

South African Medical Journal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The South African Medical Journal is published by the South African Medical Association, which represents ... G Watermeyer, S Thomson, 399-402 ... Assessing the value of Western Cape Provincial Government health administrative data and ...

University and community partnerships in South Sulawesi, Indonesia: Enhancing community capacity and promoting democratic governance

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Sri Mastuti

2014-06-01

Full Text Available South Sulawesi is a province in Indonesia where the majority of the population is Muslim, with many variant interpretations of Islam. Alauddin State Islamic University is not just a place for teaching and study but also plays a role in helping to unify the differences among these different Islamic groups. Its changing of status from institute to university in 2005, and later the support of the Canadian-assisted SILE Project beginning in 2010, have made this university an example of reform in the way it implements its functions. Since 2011, Alauddin State Islamic University has been developing a new approach in university-community outreach/engagement. What was formerly separated between teaching, research and community service is now linked under one institutional umbrella. The new university-community outreach approach has also adopted some new tools like Asset Based Community Development (ABCD and Results Based Management (RBM. It seeks to promote democratic governance, gender equality and a sustainable environment. The university also works in partnership with civil society organisations (CSOs in South Sulawesi, including Islamic-based organizsations, secular organisations and women’s organisations. The model for the partnership is a working group (abbreviated to pokja in Indonesian, which comprises lecturers from a faculty in the university and members of a CSO. We discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by these working groups. Opportunities include increased advantages from pooling their organisational capacities and experience in working with communities. Sharing their networks and resources makes them stronger and makes their work more sustainable. The challenge lies in changing the mindset from a needs-based, project-oriented approach to an asset-based facilitative approach, comprehending the tools, managing time to work together and building effective teamwork. Keywords: university-community outreach, democratic governance

Animal Ownership Among Vulnerable Populations in Regional South Australia: Implications for Natural Disaster Preparedness and Resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Kirrilly; Trigg, Joshua; Smith, Bradley

Few studies have examined the prevalence of animal ownership among populations likely to be at greater risk from disaster events within a bushfire context. To investigate the proportion of vulnerable community members keeping animals and the types of animals kept, as well as perceived risk of harm to pets, and their inclusion in bushfire survival planning. Statewide anonymous online survey in 2014 of adult South Australian animal owners threatened by bushfire in January 2014. Respondents were asked about animal ownership, their bushfire risk perception, and household survival planning. Descriptive statistics are presented for 5 groups considered likely to contribute to increased risk of harm for households: linguistically diverse, older adults, families with young children, physically frail, and self-identifying disabled, as well as individuals with mental health considerations. An opt-in purposively targeted sample of anonymous South Australians living in high fire-risk locations. Adult South Australian animal owners threatened or directly impacted by bushfire events, including individuals matching 1 of the 5 vulnerable groups. Self-reported details of animal ownership, perceived fire risk, survival planning, and vulnerability characteristics. Animal ownership was found to be more prevalent in these 5 populations than in the wider South Australian population. Perceived risk to pets was low to moderately low in these individuals. Variation was observed in the role of animals generally and pets specifically as motivators for preparing bushfire survival plans. Emergency services and associated agencies need to consider how the unique needs of vulnerable populations that keep animals, and their potential differences in risk perception, relate to their bushfire survival planning and preparedness requirements.

Organizational determinants of evaluation practice in Australian prevention agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarzman, J; Bauman, A; Gabbe, B; Rissel, C; Shilton, T; Smith, B J

2018-06-01

Program evaluation is essential to inform decision making, contribute to the evidence base for strategies, and facilitate learning in health promotion and disease prevention organizations. Theoretical frameworks of organizational learning, and studies of evaluation capacity building describe the organization as central to evaluation capacity. Australian prevention organizations recognize limitations to current evaluation effectiveness and are seeking guidance to build evaluation capacity. This qualitative study identifies organizational facilitators and barriers to evaluation practice, and explores their interactions in Australian prevention organizations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 experienced practitioners from government and non-government organizations. Using thematic analysis, we identified seven key themes that influence evaluation practice: leadership, organizational culture, organizational systems and structures, partnerships, resources, workforce development and training and recruitment and skills mix. We found organizational determinants of evaluation to have multi-level interactions. Leadership and organizational culture influenced organizational systems, resource allocation and support of staff. Partnerships were important to overcome resource deficits, and systems were critical to embed evaluation within the organization. Organizational factors also influenced the opportunities for staff to develop skills and confidence. We argue that investment to improve these factors would allow organizations to address evaluation capacity at multiple levels, and ultimately facilitate effective evaluation practice.

Prevalence and socio-economic distribution of eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviour among South Australian children in urban and rural communities: baseline findings from the OPAL evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, L; Ullah, S; Olds, T; Magarey, A; Leslie, E; Jones, M; Miller, M; Cobiac, L

2016-11-01

To identify current prevalence and sociodemographic distribution of adherence to national diet and physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines among Australian primary school children. Cross-sectional survey of children (n = 4637, 9-11 years) participating at baseline in the South Australian Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle (OPAL) programme evaluation. Self-reported diet, physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) behaviours were assessed via questionnaire. Children were classified as meeting or not meeting each guideline (two or more serves of fruit, five or more serves of vegetables, two or less serves of discretionary food, ≥60 min of PA, and ≤2 h of ST per day). Although 65% of children met fruit recommendations, only 22% met vegetable recommendations (17% consumed no vegetables). Approximately one-quarter (28%) of children met discretionary food recommendations. Only 17% of children met the ST recommendations and 33% met PA recommendations. Less than 1% of children met all five recommendations. Rural children were more likely to meet both PA (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.21-1.74, P < 0.001) and ST (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.14-1.66, P < 0.01) recommendations than urban counterparts. Children at least socio-economic disadvantage performed better than those at greatest disadvantage for most behaviours. Improvement in Australian children's diet and physical activity and sedentary behaviours, particularly urban children and those at greatest socio-economic disadvantage, is urgently warranted. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. All rights reserved.

Pregnancy and lactation advice: How does Australian Product Information compare with established information resources?

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Emma; Hotham, Elizabeth; Hotham, Neil

2016-09-01

Product information is a popular medicines information resource; however, there is some evidence that its pregnancy and lactation information is overconservative, which can lead to inadequate treatment of pregnant and lactating women. A thorough analysis of pregnancy and lactation information within Australian Product Information and Consumer Medicines Information was performed. The statements within these resources were compared with established clinical resources: Australian Medicines Handbook, Therapeutic Guidelines, South Australian Perinatal Practice Guidelines, Organization of Teratology Information Specialists, LactMed, Motherisk and the Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Medicines Guide published by the Royal Women's Hospital Melbourne. Product Information was found to be the most cautious resource, with 44.5% of pregnancy recommendations and 69% of lactation recommendations reviewed being more conservative than other resources. Product Information is an imperfect and often overconservative reference for pregnant and lactating women. Health professionals are urged to review established clinical resources to inform decision making.

Market outlook for Australian uranium producers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindsay, M.

2001-01-01

Recent improvements in the uranium market and political changes in Australia presented the uranium producers with their best opportunity in over 15 years. The removal of the well known 'three mines policy' by the current government has encouraged Australian producers to develop new development plans. With the expansion of the existing operations at Ranger and Olympic Dam, and the potential operations of Jabiluka, Kintyre, Koongara, Honeymoon and Beverley, Australia expects to increase annual production to 11630 t U 3 O 8 by the end of the decade. It will then join Canada as a major supplier of uranium to the world's nuclear power utilities in the 21st century. Uranium exploration, which has been virtually nonexistent over the past 15 years, has once again been reactivated. This occurred because of the change in the Government, but also because the Aboriginal groups are once more allowing exploration on their land. (author)

The origins and radiation of Australian Coptotermes termites: from rainforest to desert dwellers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Timothy R C; Cameron, Stephen L; Evans, Theodore A; Ho, Simon Y W; Lo, Nathan

2015-01-01

The termite genus Coptotermes (Rhinotermitidae) is found in Asia, Africa, Central/South America and Australia, with greatest diversity in Asia. Some Coptotermes species are amongst the world's most damaging invasive termites, but the genus is also significant for containing the most sophisticated mound-building termites outside the family Termitidae. These mound-building Coptotermes occur only in Australia. Despite its economic and evolutionary significance, the biogeographic history of the genus has not been well investigated, nor has the evolution of the Australian mound-building species. We present here the first phylogeny of the Australian Coptotermes to include representatives from all described species. We combined our new data with previously generated data to estimate the first phylogeny to include representatives from all continents where the genus is found. We also present the first estimation of divergence dates during the evolution of the genus. We found the Australian Coptotermes to be monophyletic and most closely related to the Asian Coptotermes, with considerable genetic diversity in some Australian taxa possibly representing undescribed species. The Australian mound-building species did not form a monophyletic clade. Our ancestral state reconstruction analysis indicated that the ancestral Australian Coptotermes was likely to have been a tree nester, and that mound-building behaviour has arisen multiple times. The Australian Coptotermes were found to have diversified ∼13million years ago, which plausibly matches with the narrowing of the Arafura Sea allowing Asian taxa to cross into Australia. The first diverging Coptotermes group was found to be African, casting doubt on the previously raised hypothesis that the genus has an Asian origin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Australian University Research Commercialisation: Perceptions of Technology Transfer Specialists and Science and Technology Academics

Science.gov (United States)

Harman, Grant

2010-01-01

Australian governments in recent years have invested substantially in innovation and research commercialisation with the aim of enhancing international economic competitiveness, making research findings more readily available to research users, and supporting economic and social development. Although there have been a number of evaluations of…

Are Australian immigrants at a risk of being physically inactive?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurrin Lyle

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We examined whether physical activity risk differed between migrant sub-groups and the Australian-born population. Methods Data were drawn from the Australian National Health Survey (2001 and each resident's country of birth was classified into one of 13 regions. Data were gathered on each resident's physical activity level in the fortnight preceding the survey. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders examined the risk of physical inactivity of participants from each of the 13 regions compared to the Australian-born population. Results There was a greater prevalence of physical inactivity for female immigrants from most regions compared to male immigrants from a like region. Immigrants from South East Asia (OR 2.04% 95% CI 1.63, 2.56, Other Asia (OR 1.53 95% CI 1.10, 2.13, Other Oceania (1.81 95% CI 1.11, 2.95, the Middle East (OR 1.42 95% CI 0.97, 2.06 [note: border line significance] and Southern & Eastern Europe are at a significantly higher risk of being physically inactive compared to those born in Australian. In contrast, immigrants from New Zealand (OR 0.77 95% CI 0.62, 0.94, the UK & Ireland (OR 0.82 95% CI 0.73, 0.92, and other Africa (OR 0.69 95% CI 0.51, 0.94 are at a significantly lower risk of being physically inactive compared to the Australian born population. Conclusion Future research identifying potential barriers and facilitators to participation in physical activity will inform culturally sensitive physical activity programs that aim to encourage members of specific regional ethnic sub-groups to undertake physical activity.

Governance and Public Sector Transformation in South Africa: Reporting and Providing Assurance on Service Delivery Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariaan Roos

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Reporting on performance was legislatively established in South Africa in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, section 40 (3(a. The auditing of the reported information was legislated in the Public Audit Act, Act 25 of 2004, section 20(2 (c. The objectives of the article are firstly to provide an overview of the development and application of the reporting and secondly providing assurance on service delivery information and thirdly to reflect on challenges to the implementation thereof in South Africa. The aim through deploying these set objectives is to formulate possible future considerations for improved governance. As central part of the methodology, review of literature on reporting and audit of non-financialwas conducted. The research included scrutiny of the different philosophies and approaches adopted by different countries to the reporting and providing assurance on service delivery information. In this respect, the research reflects a comparative element. In South Africa the Auditor-General adopted a phasing-in approach. The development of the audit approach and audit procedures has reached a stable stage, nine years after the initial process started. The audit of performance information now forms an integral part of the regularity audit process. The analysis of audit findings of the period under study indicates a considerable improvement once initiated, but stagnation persists in subsequent years. Numerous challenges remain around the application of performance reporting in South Africa including non-compliance, the lack of sufficient and appropriate audit evidence, inconsistencies between the various strategic documents and the need to improve the usefulness of performance information. In conclusion the article proposes some steps to address the challenges.

Best Practice Benchmarking in Australian Agriculture: Issues and Challenges

OpenAIRE

Ronan, Glenn; Cleary, Gordon

2000-01-01

The quest to shape Australian agriculture for improved and sustainable profitability is leading Research and Development Corporations, agri-service consultants and government to devote substantial effort into development of new farm business analysis and benchmarking programs. ‘Biz Check’, ‘Pork Biz’, ‘Wool Enterprise Benchmarking’, ‘Dairy Business Focus’ and ‘Business Skills and Best Practice’ for beef and sheep meat producers are examples of current farm management and training programs whe...

Transforming STEM Education in an Innovative Australian School: The Role of Teachers' and Academics' Professional Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Bissaker, Kerry

2014-01-01

The Australian Science and Mathematics School (ASMS) is a purpose-built innovative senior secondary school situated on the grounds of Flinders University, South Australia. The school was established to address declining enrollments in senior secondary mathematics and science, students' negative attitudes, a shortage of qualified science,…

Establishment and evolution of the Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Register and DNA Bank.

Science.gov (United States)

De Roach, John N; McLaren, Terri L; Paterson, Rachel L; O'Brien, Emily C; Hoffmann, Ling; Mackey, David A; Hewitt, Alex W; Lamey, Tina M

2013-07-01

Inherited retinal disease represents a significant cause of blindness and visual morbidity worldwide. With the development of emerging molecular technologies, accessible and well-governed repositories of data characterising inherited retinal disease patients is becoming increasingly important. This manuscript introduces such a repository. Participants were recruited from the Retina Australia membership, through the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, and by recruitment of suitable patients attending the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital visual electrophysiology clinic. Four thousand one hundred ninety-three participants were recruited. All participants were members of families in which the proband was diagnosed with an inherited retinal disease (excluding age-related macular degeneration). Clinical and family information was collected by interview with the participant and by examination of medical records. In 2001, we began collecting DNA from Western Australian participants. In 2009 this activity was extended Australia-wide. Genetic analysis results were stored in the register as they were obtained. The main outcome measurement was the number of DNA samples (with associated phenotypic information) collected from Australian inherited retinal disease-affected families. DNA was obtained from 2873 participants. Retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease and Usher syndrome participants comprised 61.0%, 9.9% and 6.4% of the register, respectively. This resource is a valuable tool for investigating the aetiology of inherited retinal diseases. As new molecular technologies are translated into clinical applications, this well-governed repository of clinical and genetic information will become increasingly relevant for tasks such as identifying candidates for gene-specific clinical trials. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology © 2012 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Health literacy and the Internet: a study on the readability of Australian online health information.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Christina; Dunn, Matthew

2015-08-01

Almost 80% of Australian Internet users seek out health information online so the readability of this information is important. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of Australian online health information and determine if it matches the average reading level of Australians. Two hundred and fifty-one web pages with information on 12 common health conditions were identified across sectors. Readability was assessed by the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, with grade 8 adopted as the average Australian reading level. The average reading grade measured by F-K and SMOG was 10.54 and 12.12 respectively. The mean FRE was 47.54, a 'difficult-to-read' score. Only 0.4% of web pages were written at or below grade 8 according to SMOG. Information on dementia was the most difficult to read overall, while obesity was the most difficult among government websites. The findings suggest that the readability of Australian health websites is above the average Australian levels of reading. A quantifiable guideline is needed to ensure online health information accommodates the reading needs of the general public to effectively use the Internet as an enabler of health literacy. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Measures to assess the performance of an Australian non-government charitable non-acute health service: A Delphi Survey of Organisational Stakeholders.

Science.gov (United States)

Colbran, Richard; Ramsden, Robyn; Stagnitti, Karen; Adams, Samantha

2018-02-01

Organisation performance measurement is relevant for non-profit charitable organisations as they strive for security in an increasingly competitive funding environment. This study aimed to identify the priority measures and indicators of organisational performance of an Australian non-government charitable organisation that delivers non-acute health services. Seventy-seven and 59 participants across nine stakeholder groups responded to a two-staged Delphi technique study of a case study organisation. The stage one questionnaire was developed using information garnered through a detailed review of literature. Data from the first round were aggregated and analysed for the stage two survey. The final data represented a group consensus. Quality of care was ranked the most important of six organisational performance measures. Service user satisfaction was ranked second followed by financial performance, internal processes, employee learning and growth and community engagement. Thirteen priority indicators were determined across the six measures. Consensus was reached on the priority organisational performance measures and indicators. Stakeholders of the case study organisation value evidence-based practice, technical strength of services and service user satisfaction over more commercially orientated indicators.

Preventing Australian bat lyssavirus: community knowledge and risk perception of bats in South East Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Megan K; El Saadi, Debra; McCall, Bradley J

2014-04-01

Ongoing potential exposure of members of the public to Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) in South East Queensland, Australia, prompted investigation of community knowledge, risk perception, and intention to handle bats to inform future prevention efforts. After pilot testing, a computer-assisted telephone survey of a representative sample of 700 adults without previous potential exposure to ABLV was undertaken in the defined geographic region. Twenty-four percent of eligible contacted individuals participated. Basic knowledge of bats and ABLV was generally high, with 65% of participants answering nine or more of 12 knowledge questions correctly. The perceived risk that bats pose to human health was also high, with 93% indicating some degree of risk. Although 88% of participants indicated they would handle bats in one or more of the scripted situations, overall intention to handle bats was low, with 59% indicating they would handle a bat in four or less of the 12 scenarios. Younger males with lower risk perception of bats most frequently indicated intention to handle bats in varying situations. Knowledge score was not associated with intention to handle bats on multivariate modeling. Future public health prevention efforts, both in Australia and overseas, should focus further on conveying the risk to humans and to bats when nontrained, nonvaccinated people attempt to handle bats rather than attempting to purely convey knowledge about bats and ABLV or rabies. Suitable alternative measures to handling should be included. Younger adult males are a particular target group for prevention efforts.

Introducing the Australian Uranium Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angwin, M.

2007-01-01

The Australian Uranium Association was formed in September last year in the midst of a very exciting period of change for the industry. What forged this new grouping was the industry's belief that it needed a strong representative organisation to play an advocacy role for uranium exploration and mining, at a very important moment of opportunity for the industry. That 'moment of opportunity' was the result of some critical trends and events, First, the very rapid increase in the price of uranium was driving renewed exploration and investment across Australia and the world. In the previous twelve months, the spot price of uranium had risen more than 90%. Second, the Federal Government had established the Uranium Industry Framework as a means by which government and industry could discuss a better regulatory framework. This led to some very fruitful interchanges between industry players. While the UIF talks were continuing, the Federal Government announced a parallel inquiry into whether Australia ought to move further into the nuclear power cycle. Third, the new interest in Australia in climate change and greenhouse gas emissions had led to a steep increase in public interest in the nuclear power option, with many former opponents now willing to listen to the argument

The Australian Constitution and the Aid/Watch Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Williams

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The Australian Constitution played a significant role in underpinning the result in the Aid/Watch Case. It was invoked by the majority to support their conclusion that a body can be a ‘charitable institution’ despite engaging in political activities. The use of the Constitution in this way came as a surprise. The case extended an existing constitutional principle relating to freedom of political communication from its electoral base into the protection of the political activities of non-government organisations. This may have future ramifications for those organisations in other areas, as well as further implications for the development of what it means to be a charity in Australia. This article examines the use of the Australian Constitution in the Aid/Watch Case. It explains how the High Court was able to invoke the Constitution in defining what it means to be a ‘charitable institution’. It also examines the implications of that reasoning for the development of charitable law in Australia.

Levels of dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs in a random sample of Australian aquaculture-produced Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padula, D.; Madigan, T.; Kiermeier, A.; Daughtry, B.; Pointon, A. [South Australian Research and Development Inst. (Australia)

2004-09-15

To date there has been no published information available on the levels of dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs in Australian aquaculture-produced Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii). Southern Bluefin Tuna are commercially farmed off the coast of Port Lincoln in the state of South Australia, Australia. This paper reports the levels of dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs in muscle tissue samples from 11 randomly sampled aquaculture-produced Southern Bluefin Tuna collected in 2003. Little published data exists on the levels of dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs in Australian aquacultureproduced seafood. Wild tuna are first caught in the Great Australian Bight in South Australian waters, and are then brought back to Port Lincoln where they are ranched in sea-cages before being harvested and exported to Japan. The aim of the study was to identify pathways whereby contaminants such as dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs may enter the aquaculture production system. This involved undertaking a through chain analysis of the levels of dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs in wild caught tuna, seafloor sediment samples from the marine environment, levels in feeds and final harvested exported product. Detailed study was also undertaken on the variation of dioxin (PCDD/F) and PCBs across individual tuna carcases. This paper addresses the levels found in final harvested product. Details on levels found in other studies will be published elsewhere shortly.

A new South Africa: coal exports in transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Botha, R.F. [Ministry of Mineral and Energy Affairs (South Africa)

1995-11-01

Discusses aspects of the coal industry in South Africa particularly in the light of the recent political changes i.e. the ending of apartheid and the election of the South African Government of National Unity. Areas covered include: increased foreign investment; the Government`s Reconstruction and Development Programme; improved health and safety; production of coal based liquid fuels; coal reserves; power generation; and exports and terminal facilities.

The Role of Local Government in Evictions | van Wyk ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Local government occupies a unique place in the South African system of government. This is circumscribed by the Constitution which contains directives. enjoining municipalities inter alia to provide democratic and accountable government for local communities and to promote social and economic development (section ...

Providers′ knowledge, attitude and dispensing practices of E-Pills in government dispensaries of south district in Delhi, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kishore Vertika

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: South Delhi is one of the well developed districts in the capital with best public health care facilities. Knowledge, attitude and dispensing practices of emergency contraceptive pills (E-pills were assessed among health care providers of government dispensaries in South Delhi. Study Design: A descriptive epidemiological study. Materials and Methods: Both medical and paramedical (n = 428 providers in 63 government health care facilities were interviewed between August to December 2007 using a semi-structured interview schedule. Results: Among the different categories of the providers, medical officers were observed to be most knowledgeable about E-pills and the pharmacists were the least. The correct prescribed dose of E-pill was known only to 32% of the providers while 49% knew about its right time of intake. Misconceptions and apprehensions for promoting its use were very much prevalent even among medical officers as majority felt that open access to E-pills would increase promiscuity. The dispensing practice of providers was found positively ( P < 0.05 correlated with their knowledge. Training resulted a significant ( P < 0.05 improvement in knowledge, attitude and dispensing practice of the providers. Knowledge and training combined together contributed 35% to the dispensing practice (R 2 = 0.35. Conclusion: Besides knowledge, behavior change communication strategies should form a part of the training curricula of health care providers that would help to improve the dispensing practice of E-pills.

Public support for government regulatory interventions for overweight and obesity in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sainsbury, Emma; Hendy, Chelsea; Magnusson, Roger; Colagiuri, Stephen

2018-04-18

There is growing recognition among public health circles of the need for regulatory action for overweight and obesity, but there has been limited research into whether the Australian public supports government intervention. This study aimed to determine the level of public support for food-related regulations for obesity, and to assess the determinants of support. A nationally representative sample of Australian adults (n = 2011) was recruited by market research company Online Research Unit to complete an online survey. The survey measured respondents' perception of the obesity problem in Australia, and level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) with proposed regulations in three domains; advertising, sponsorship of children's sport, and taxation. Binary logistic regression models were run to examine the association between demographic variables and support for regulation. The majority of respondents (92.5%) considered overweight and obesity to be a somewhat or very serious problem in Australia, and almost 90% felt there should be at least some government regulation to protect the public. Respondents agreed that the government should regulate food and beverage advertising (69.5%), with strongest support for restricting unhealthy food advertising to children (78.9%). There was lower support for prohibiting unhealthy food and beverage company sponsorship of children's sport (63.4% agreement), and for taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (54.5%), although the majority were still in favour. Support for fiscal policies slightly increased if revenue was to be used for health purposes. Females and tertiary educated respondents showed stronger agreement with proposed regulations (p < 0.05). The survey findings suggest the majority of the Australian population recognises obesity to be a serious health problem, and support government regulation of the food environment as a population-level preventative strategy.

Origins of the Asian-Australian monsoons related to Cenozoic plate movement and Tibetan Plateau uplift - A modeling study

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, X.; Dong, B.; Yin, Z. Y.; Smith, R. S.; Guo, Q.

2017-12-01

The origin of monsoon is a subject that has attracted much attention in the scientific community and even today it is still controversial. According to geological records, there is conflicting evidence regarding the timings of establishment of the monsoon climates in South Asia, East Asia, and northern Australia. Additionally, different explanations for the monsoon origins have been derived from various numerical simulations. To further investigate the origin and evolution of the Asian and Australian monsoons, we designed a series of numerical experiments using a coupled atmospheric-oceanic general circulation model. Since the Indian-Australian plate has shifted its position significantly during the Cenozoic, together with the large-scale uplift of the Tibetan Plateau (TP), in these experiments we considered the configurations of ocean-land masses and large topographic features based on geological evidence of plate motion and TP uplift in 5 typical Cenozoic geological periods: mid-Paleocene ( 60Ma), late-Eocene ( 40Ma), late-Oligocene ( 25Ma), late-Miocene ( 10Ma), and present day. These experiments allowed us to examine the combined effects of the changes in the land-ocean configuration due to plate movement and TP uplift, they also provided insight into the effects of the high CO2 levels during the Eocene. The simulations revealed that during the Paleocene, the Indian Subcontinent was still positioned in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and, therefore, its climate behaved as the SH tropical monsoon. By the late Eocene, it moved into the tropical Northern Hemisphere, which allowed the establishment of the South Asian monsoon. In contrast, the East Asian and Australian monsoon did not exist in the late Oligocene. These monsoon systems were established in the Miocene and then enhanced thereafter. Establishments of the low-latitude monsoons in South Asia and Australia were entirely determined by the position of the Indian-Australian plate and not related to the TP uplift

Auscope: Australian Earth Science Information Infrastructure using Free and Open Source Software

Science.gov (United States)

Woodcock, R.; Cox, S. J.; Fraser, R.; Wyborn, L. A.

2013-12-01

Since 2005 the Australian Government has supported a series of initiatives providing researchers with access to major research facilities and information networks necessary for world-class research. Starting with the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) the Australian earth science community established an integrated national geoscience infrastructure system called AuScope. AuScope is now in operation, providing a number of components to assist in understanding the structure and evolution of the Australian continent. These include the acquisition of subsurface imaging , earth composition and age analysis, a virtual drill core library, geological process simulation, and a high resolution geospatial reference framework. To draw together information from across the earth science community in academia, industry and government, AuScope includes a nationally distributed information infrastructure. Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has been a significant enabler in building the AuScope community and providing a range of interoperable services for accessing data and scientific software. A number of FOSS components have been created, adopted or upgraded to create a coherent, OGC compliant Spatial Information Services Stack (SISS). SISS is now deployed at all Australian Geological Surveys, many Universities and the CSIRO. Comprising a set of OGC catalogue and data services, and augmented with new vocabulary and identifier services, the SISS provides a comprehensive package for organisations to contribute their data to the AuScope network. This packaging and a variety of software testing and documentation activities enabled greater trust and notably reduced barriers to adoption. FOSS selection was important, not only for technical capability and robustness, but also for appropriate licensing and community models to ensure sustainability of the infrastructure in the long term. Government agencies were sensitive to these issues and Au

Governance and social responsibility perceptions of the SAFA affiliated football clubs executives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kgaugelo Sammy Boya

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Governance concerns have been in facade of society both in South Africa and in the rest of the world. These concerns have been raised at various levels such as public sector, private sector, and even within sports and recreation. The South African media have also heightened the exposure of incidents whenever gross violation of good governance principles occurred. The sport fraternity, particularly football, is not immune to this scourge. In the South African context, very little research has been done to look into the governance trajectories concerning sports organisations. As a result, this paper will consider how the Gauteng football clubs that are affiliated with the South African Football Association (SAFA perceive issues of governance and those that concern social responsibility. Qualitative data in a form of semi-structured interviews was used. A total of 12 executive managers participated in the study. Atlas ti was used to analyse data deductively.The findings seem to suggest that the clubs are aware and supportive of good governance principles, ethics and issues of social responsibility. Calls are made to SAFA and its structures, government and the corporate sector to instil good governance principles and support social initiatives within their surroundings. Moreover, families and communities were encouraged to raise the bar in terms of improving the moral capital of society.

A Critical Appraisal of Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disability V Government of the Republic of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petronell Kruger.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The 2011 the Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disability v Government of The Republic of South Africa case flagged a lot of issues faced by persons with disabilities relating to access to education in South Africa. The case tackled certain perceptions about the ineducability of persons with profound and severe disability and the remaining charity-oriented perception by the South African Department of Basic Education. While the court made several important points in advancing universal access to education, the author argues that certain holes in the judgment hinders the existence of judicial finding truly infused with concerns of substantive equality. An example of this short-coming is the court's consideration of reasonableness when the right to basic education is an immediately realisable right. The author also argues that the South African developments in education policy for persons with disability, while positive, is insufficient to truly give effect to substantive equality – the claim to equality being made in the new constitutional dispensation. There is still an attitude that is too permissive of separating students based on abilism. The social model of thinking about requires a complete transformation of the education system that would not require a classification of learners by abilities but have a different constitution so as to accommodate all students and not unduly enable one group over another. The author considers the approaches from Canada and India to explore its responses to education for students with varying levels of ability. Canada's similar conception of equality and India's influence on South African constitutionalism and shared experience with massive equality gaps make these jurisdictions instructive.

Managerialism and higher education governance: Implications for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article identifies some of the implications of corporate forms of higher education governance for the management of South African universities. It explores corporate higher educational governance with reference to institutional autonomy incorporating academic freedom. It is the contention of this article that the primary ...

Risk assessment, eradication, and biological control: global efforts to limit Australian acacia invasions

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, John R.U.; Gairifo, Carla; Gibson, Michelle R.; Arianoutsou, Margarita; Bakar, Baki B.; Baret, Stephane; Celesti-Grapow, Laura; DiTomaso, Joseph M.; Dufour-Dror, Jean-Marc; Kueffer, Christoph; Kull, Christian A.; Hoffman, John H.; Impson, Fiona A.C.; Loope, Lloyd L.; Marchante, Elizabete; Harchante, Helia; Moore, Joslin L.; Murphy, Daniel J.; Tassin, Jacques; Witt, Arne; Zenni, Rafael D.; Richardson, David M.

2011-01-01

Aim Many Australian Acacia species have been planted around the world, some are highly valued, some are invasive, and some are both highly valued and invasive. We review global efforts to minimize the risk and limit the impact of invasions in this widely used plant group. Location Global. Methods Using information from literature sources, knowledge and experience of the authors, and the responses from a questionnaire sent to experts around the world, we reviewed: (1) a generalized life cycle of Australian acacias and how to control each life stage, (2) different management approaches and (3) what is required to help limit or prevent invasions. Results Relatively few Australian acacias have been introduced in large numbers, but all species with a long and extensive history of planting have become invasive somewhere. Australian acacias, as a group, have a high risk of becoming invasive and causing significant impacts as determined by existing assessment schemes. Moreover, in most situations, long-lived seed banks mean it is very difficult to control established infestations. Control has focused almost exclusively on widespread invaders, and eradication has rarely been attempted. Classical biological control is being used in South Africa with increasing success. Main conclusions A greater emphasis on pro-active rather than reactive management is required given the difficulties managing established invasions of Australian acacias. Adverse effects of proposed new introductions can be minimized by conducting detailed risk assessments in advance, planning for on-going monitoring and management, and ensuring resources are in place for long-term mitigation. Benign alternatives (e.g. sterile hybrids) could be developed to replace existing utilized taxa. Eradication should be set as a management goal more often to reduce the invasion debt. Introducing classical biological control agents that have a successful track-record in South Africa to other regions and identifying new

The Literacy and Numeracy "Crisis" in Australian Workplaces: Discursive Rhetoric vs. Production Floor Realities

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Stephen; Yasukawa, Keiko; Brown, Tony

2015-01-01

The dominant discourse on adult literacy and numeracy in Australia sees the federal government, industry, workforce skills agencies and the media speaking with one voice on the "crisis" involving workers' low literacy and numeracy skills. Underpinning this discourse are the Australian results of the international Adult Literacy and Life…

Can market stability be improved. Government and export contract approvals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livingston, R.S.

1983-01-01

The following aspects are discussed: long-term contracts vs spot or short-term uranium transactions; impact of widely fluctuating prices on primary producing/exporting countries and their producers; forecast of growing and largely predictable demand for uranium over next decade or two; effects of government actions; Australian development and export policies. (U.K.)

Genetic analysis of female fertility traits in South African Holstein cattle

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bobby

1 ARC-Livestock Business Division, P/Bag X2, Irene 0062, South Africa .... Descriptive statistics of all traits were computed using the Proc Means procedure of the Statistical. Analysis System (SAS ..... of Australian Holstein-Friesian cattle. Anim.

QUALITY PREMIUMS FOR AUSTRALIAN WHEAT IN THE GROWING ASIAN MARKETS

OpenAIRE

Ahmadi-Esfahani, Fredoun Z.; Stanmore, Roland G.

1994-01-01

An hedonic price function is applied to Australia's wheat exports to the growing Asian markets. The values for the quality characteristics in the wheat markets of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand are estimated. The data base for the study is from the Australian Wheat Board shipments over the period 1984 to 1991. The sample is divided into two separate time periods to test the consistency in demand for export wheat and to trace recent trends in quality premiums. The im...

Investment practices in Australian coal: the practice and profit of quasi-integration in the Australia-Japan coal trade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colley, Peter

1997-01-01

The Australian coal industry has frequently been described as a perpetual case of 'profitless prosperity'. Industry literature on the subject usually sources this problem to government charges on the industry and to labour costs. However, these alleged problems do not appear to have diminished the enthusiasm for new investment in the industry. This study argues that a more complete explanation must look at who is investing in the Australian coal industry, what the rationale for those investments is, how they are financed and what their specific profitability is. The particular examination made here is of the quasi-integration investment practices of Japanese trading, steel and power companies -easily the largest group of buyers in the international coal trade. The close co-operation between Japanese government and business in this strategic raw materials industry is documented, as are the methods of subsidised investment. An examination of the financial performance of these companies' Australian coal investments shows that the profitability of their investments is significantly below that of most other investors in Australian mining over a recent 5-year period. Taken together, there is significant support for the conclusion that a process of co-ordinated quasi-integration has taken place and that the principal aim of such investments has not been to make profits from coal-mining. (author)

Service utilisation and costs of language impairment in children: The early language in Victoria Australian population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Ha N D; Gold, Lisa; Mensah, Fiona; Eadie, Patricia; Bavin, Edith L; Bretherton, Lesley; Reilly, Sheena

2017-08-01

To examine (1) the patterns of service use and costs associated with language impairment in a community cohort of children from ages 4-9 years and (2) the relationship between language impairment and health service utilisation. Participants were children and caregivers of six local government areas in Melbourne participating in the community-based Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS). Health service use was reported by parents. Costs were valued in Australian dollars in 2014, from the government and family perspectives. Depending on age, the Australian adapted Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Pre-school, 2nd Edition (CELF-P2) or the CELF, 4th Edition (CELF4) was used to assess expressive and receptive language. At 5, 7 and 9 years respectively 21%, 11% and 8% of families reported using services for speech and/or language concerns. The annual costs associated with using services averaged A$612 (A$255 to government, A$357 to family) at 5 years and A$992 (A$317 to government, A$675 to family) at 7 years. Children with persistent language impairment had significantly higher service costs than those with typical language. Language impairment in 4-9-year-old children is associated with higher use of services and costs to both families and government compared to typical language.

Potential exposure to Australian bat lyssavirus is unlikely to prevent future bat handling among adults in South East Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, M K; Banu, S; McCall, B J; Vlack, S; Carroll, H; Bennett, S; Davison, R; Francis, D

2018-02-01

Despite ongoing public health messages about the risks associated with bat contact, the number of potential exposures to Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) due to intentional handling by members of the general public in Queensland has remained high. We sought to better understand the reasons for intentional handling among these members of the public who reported their potential exposure to inform future public health messages. We interviewed adults who resided in a defined geographic area in South East Queensland and notified potential exposure to ABLV due to intentional handling of bats by telephone between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013. The participation rate was 54%. Adults who reported they had intentionally handled bats in South East Queensland indicated high levels of knowledge and perception of a moderately high risk associated with bats with overall low intentions to handle bats in the future. However, substantial proportions of people would attempt to handle bats again in some circumstances, particularly to protect their children or pets. Fifty-two percent indicated that they would handle a bat if a child was about to pick up or touch a live bat, and 49% would intervene if a pet was interacting with a bat. Future public health communications should recognize the situations in which even people with highrisk perceptions of bats will attempt to handle them. Public health messages currently focus on avoidance of bats in all circumstances and recommend calling in a trained vaccinated handler, but messaging directed at adults for circumstances where children or pets may be potentially exposed should provide safe immediate management options. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Conditions applying to Australian uranium exports - safeguards obligations under NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotsey, W.B.

1975-08-01

The Australian Government's expressed desire to inhibit the spread of nuclear weapons and its wish to prevent Australia's uranium exports being used for manufacture of nuclear explosives are underwritten by Australia's formal international obligations. Australia is not free to export its material without paying due regard to supra-national requirements. This paper defines two safeguards regimes, one applying to countries such as Australia which are party to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the other to those which are not parties. The application of safeguards and the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are briefly explained. Australia's obligations under the NPT and those stemming from specific undertakings to the IAEA are stated. The latter require Australia to ensure that Non-Nuclear Weapons States not party to the NPT give assurances that Australian uranium will not be used for the manufacture of nuclear explosives and that they will permit verification by the IAEA. These obligations give rise to a set of minimum conditions applying to exports of Australian uranium which vary according to the NPT status of the importing countries. (author)