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In 2009, 4 major bushfires destroyed vast areas of Gippsland in eastern Victoria including the areas around Delburn, Bunyip, Churchill and Wilsons Promontory. These are collectively known as the 2009 Gippsland bushfires. Research was conducted to investigate the psychosocial recovery of young adults in these areas. Twenty young adults participated in the study and, while these young adults are not an homogenous group, commonalities were identified across their stories. Asked what would have helped their recovery, the participants all said that acknowledgment of their personal and age-specific needs was the single most important factor that enabled or impeded recovery. This paper describes some of their stories. The paper looks at how participants viewed acknowledgment and the effects of its absence on their psychosocial recovery and how they felt unacknowledged in local recovery supports. The paper reports on the findings of this research and suggests an approach for management and longer-term recovery support that is inclusive of the specific needs of young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:: The purpose of this paper is to provide some learnings for the NDIS from the referral pattern and cost of implementing the Partners in Recovery initiative of Gippsland.Method:: Information on referral areas made for each consumer was collated from support facilitators. Cost estimates were determined using budget estimates, administrative costs and a literature review and are reported from a government perspective.Results:: Sixty-three per cent of all referrals were made to organisations that provided multiple types of services. Thirty-one per cent were to Mental Health Community Support Services. Eighteen per cent of referrals were made to clinical mental health services. The total cost of providing the service for a consumer per year (set-up and ongoing) was estimated to be AUD$15,755 and the ongoing cost per year was estimated to be AUD$13,434. The cost of doing nothing is likely to cost more in the longer term, with poor mental health outcomes such as hospital admission, unemployment benefits, prison, homelessness and psychiatric residential care.Conclusions:: Supporting recovery in persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness is likely to be economically more beneficial than not doing so. Recovery can be better supported when frequently utilised services are co-located. These might be some learnings for the NDIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although presenting a small and largely opportunistic study on a private property near Buchan, East Gippsland, Victoria, this paper presents a number of insights on Sambar Deer Cervus (Rusa) unicolor behaviour. Results reflect patterns occurring elsewhere in the state, such as the annual increase in Sambar up to 2019 and their migration back and forth from higher elevations to lower elevations in response to snow cover. Sambar were more tolerant of the surveyor on a quad-bike than when on foot, and identification of distinctive individuals indicated habituation with subsequent surveys. A large decrease in Sambar occurred in 2021 and is attributed to the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020 and subsequent culling of Sambar but the extent of the contributions of each remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the place of gender in relation to labour and transition in regional development. A 'gendered lens' is applied to planning documents relating to the region of Gippsland, Australia. While previous research highlights the importance of accounting for gender in regional development, gendered analyses outside Europe are scarce. We argue that an apparent gender neutrality in planning documents in effect privileges masculinised elements of the economy. It means that current approaches to regional development, at best, reproduce the gendered status quo and, at worst, further re-entrench gender inequality in the region, with consequences for regional labour policy. Our findings have flow on effects for gender relations, and specifically for women, and economic policy in regions undergoing transition in Gippsland. We conclude that any regional policy that does not account for gendered realities and the lived experiences of women, ultimately fails the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distinctive slope stabilisation method that integrates two well-developed methods for slope stabilisation is analysed in this paper. The slope stabilisation method utilises embedded piles and geogrid-reinforced retaining walls with gabion basket wall facing. To study the effect of this integrated slope stabilisation method on the stability of the slope under the negative impacts of rainfall, a three-dimensional finite element model with fluid–solid coupling is adopted to indicate the rainfall infiltration process and investigate the corresponding slope responses. The shear strength reduction method is applied after fluid–solid coupling analysis to investigate the impact of various rainfall intensities and rainfall patterns on the stability of slopes with different configurations. The results from the comparison of slope responses among various configurations indicate that under the highest rainfall intensity, the integrated method improves the stability of the slope up to 41.2 % and restrains the displacement increment of the road edge to a maximum of 12.5 mm. The most critical rainfall pattern for the stability of the slope has also been recognised in terms of the factor of safety and the variation in the negative pore-water pressure of the slope. The numerical results indicate that the back-loaded rainfall pattern always yields the lowest factor of safety and induces the highest loss of matric suction, which can be 23 kPa at the toe of the slope. Moreover, a comparison between two construction scenarios under various rainfall intensities was also conducted, which demonstrates that the reinforced filled slope configuration is preferable when the site conditions permit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, four major bushfires destroyed vast areas of Gippsland in eastern Victorian including the areas around Delburn, Bunyip, Churchill and Wilsons Promontory, and are collectively known as the 2009 Gippsland bushfires. This paper explores how young adults in the rural areas are recovering from these bushfires and what psychosocial supports they perceive assists their recovery. A diversity of recovery experiences and needs were expressed reflecting that young adults are not a homogenous group. However, there were commonalities in their stories and they described the bushfires as being the most defining moment of their lives. Participants also reported low engagement with recovery supports, being 'out of the loop' when recovery information and support was distributed. Because young adults are often in the process of moving to or from the area because of life transitions such as relationships, jobs, study, or travel, participants reported exclusion from 'placebased' recovery supports. They reported ongoing emotional and physical health issues and exacerbation of chronic illness that had not been sufficiently acknowledged. Despite challenges in accessing important recovery supports, young adults in this study are moving forward with hope and optimism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being increasingly popular within broader educational discourse, place-responsive pedagogy is less apparent in science teacher education. This paper investigates the perspectives of pre-service teachers in a science education course informed by place-responsive pedagogy in a Bachelor of Education (primary) program at an Australian regional university. The place-based study belongs to longitudinal research that examined the impact of the modified science course hallmarked by university–school partnerships and science lessons conducted by pre-service teachers with children from rural and regional schools in Gippsland, Victoria in a wetland and school ground setting. The study and science course were framed by a place pedagogy framework. Using this framework, we examine how pre-service teachers view and understand the affordance of places for teaching science. The study employed a document analysis of coursework essays as well as follow-up semi-structured interviews with two pre-service teacher cohorts (wetland and school ground). Findings indicate that pre-service teacher's exposure to place-responsive frameworks helped build their awareness about the affordance of place for science teaching. Challenges associated with taking science beyond the conventional classroom are also identified and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within Victoria, limited records of the threatened Giant Burrowing Frog have been obtained in recent decades. This paper describes 16 records of calling Giant Burrowing Frogs from four tributaries of the Mitchell River system in the Mount Alfred State Forest and Mitchell River National Park, Victoria. Stream condition was a major determinant of calling activity, with calling detected only in pools with no or slow flow, within first, second and fourth order streams, often with sandstone bases. Calling was not always closely associated with rainfall, and occurred across most seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Procedural skills are a significant component of clinical practice. Doctors, nurses, midwives and paramedics are trained to use a variety of procedural skills. Rural clinicians in particular are often required to maintain competence in some procedural skills that are used infrequently, and which may require regular and repeated rehearsal. This paper reports on a research project conducted in Gippsland, Victoria, to ascertain the frequency of use, and relevance to clinical practice, of a range of skills in the fields of medicine, nursing, midwifery, and paramedic practice. The project also gathered data on the attitudes of clinicians regarding how frequently and by what means they thought they needed to practice these skills with a particular focus on the use of simulation as an educational method. Methods: The research was conducted following identification of a specific set of procedural skills for each professional group. Skills were identified by an expert steering committee. We developed online questionnaires that consisted of two parts: 1) demographic and professional characteristics, and 2) experience of procedural skills and perceived training needs. We sought to invite all practicing clinicians (doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics) working in Gippsland. Online surveys were distributed between November 2011 and April 2012 with three follow-up attempts. The Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee approved the study. Results: Valid responses were received from 58 doctors, 94 nurses, 46 midwives, and 30 paramedics, whom we estimate to represent not more than 20% of current clinicians within these professions. This response rate reflected some of the difficulties experienced in the conduct of the research. Results were tabulated for each professional group across the range of skills. There was significant correlation between the frequency of certain skills and confidence with maintenance of these skills. This did not necessarily correlate with perceptions of respondents as to how often they need to practice each skill to maintain mastery. The more complex the skill, the more likely the respondents were to report a need for frequent rehearsal of the skill. There was variation between the professional groups as to how to retain mastery; for some skills, professional groups reported skill maintenance through clinical observation and clinical practice; for other skills, simulation was seen to be more appropriate. Conclusion: This project provided insight into the clinical application of procedural skills for clinicians comprising a relatively large professional population within a defined geographical region in rural Victoria, as well as attitudes to skills maintenance and competency. Although not the focus of the study, an unexpected outcome was the design of questionnaires on procedural skills. We believe that the questionnaires may have value in other rural settings. We acknowledge the limitations of the study in the text. The project provides some information on which to base planning for procedural skills education, including simulation-based training, and directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine seismic surveys are a fundamental tool for geological research, including the exploration of offshore oil and gas resources, but the sound generated during these surveys represents a source of noise pollution in the marine environment. Recent evidence has shown that seismic surveys may negatively affect some cetaceans, fish and invertebrates, although the magnitude of these impacts remains uncertain. This paper applies a case study on marine seismic impacts (the Gippsland Marine Environmental Monitoring (GMEM) project) to the critical assessment of the advantages and challenges of field-based methods in the context of future research and management priorities. We found that an interdisciplinary approach, using both conventional (e.g. dredging) and innovative (e.g. autonomous imagery) experimental components, make for more robust interpretations and also provide a failsafe in case of limited suitable data (e.g. equipment issues related to image acquisition). Field observational studies provide an unparalleled capability to undertake ecologically realistic research, although their practical challenges must be considered during research planning. We also note the need for appropriate environmental baselines and accessible time-series data to account for spatiotemporal variability of environmental and biological parameters that may mask effects, as well as the need for a standardised technique in sound monitoring and equipment calibration to ensure accuracy and comparability among studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional music scenes in Australia face unique challenges tied to distance, deflated economies and youth flight to urban areas. Drawn from seven interviews with music workers from Gippsland during 2020, the article examines these challenges and the cultural practices that glue musicians to this south-eastern region of Victoria. Findings highlight that Gippsland's music scene is sustained at the intersection of two cultural practices: community music enterprise and a do-it-yourself scene centered around the live pub circuit. In addition, locals have banded together to keep the scene alive through the online television program Live at Spectrum and performances at house parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre (GRAC) opened in the town of Traralgon, Victoria, Australia early in 2021. The GRAC utilizes a geothermal energy heating system as an alternative to conventional natural gas furnaces. We have examined 12 full months of heat production from the geothermal system of the GRAC and compared its economic performance against equivalent heat production by natural gas. The geothermal system—the first of its kind in Victoria—operated at >95% availability over its first year of operation. Our economic assessment indicates that the breakeven price for the geothermal energy is about 35% the equivalent price of natural gas and the payback period for the geothermal system is about five years. The results justify the initial capital outlay by Latrobe City Council and are likely to stimulate further development of geothermal heat systems in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we apply the theory of feminist care ethics to the issue of workplace responses to domestic and family violence (DFV). Specifically, we aim to understand how prevailing approaches to the intersection of violence and work can be reoriented to centre feminist principles of care, distinct from the masculinist logics on which they currently rely. Our discussion draws on semi-structured interviews with experts on the work–violence interface, primarily based in the non-metropolitan Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It identifies three key themes, consistent with feminist care ethics, which can be used as a basis for reimagining workplace responses to DFV: 1) the importance of attentiveness as a practice of care; 2) the need to reimagine employer responsibility for a more caring and gender-equal workplace; and 3) the value of flexibility in responding to DFV. We argue that the data highlight the need for workplaces to structurally embed care in their initiatives on DFV. The analysis also points to the transformative potential of approaches in which care is centred, though, at present, these examples are the exception rather than the rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeontological animal bone deposits are rarely investigated through research partnerships where the local First Nations communities have a defining hand in both the research questions asked and the research processes. Here we report research undertaken through such a partnership approach at the iconic archaeological site of Cloggs Cave (GunaiKurnai Country, East Gippsland), in the southern foothills of SE Australia's Great Dividing Range.A new excavation was combined with detailed chronometric dating, high‐resolution 3D mapping and geomorphological studies. This allowed interpretation of a sequence of stratigraphic layers spanning from a lowermost excavated mixed layer dated to between 25,640 and 48,470 cal BP, to a dense set of uppermost, ash layers dated to between 1460 and 3360 cal BP. This long and well‐dated chronostratigraphic sequence enabled temporal trends in the abundant small mammal remains to be examined.The fossil assemblage consists of at least 31 taxa of mammals which change in proportions through time. Despite clear evidence that the Old Ancestors repeatedly carried vegetation into the cave to fuel cool fires (no visible vegetation grows in Cloggs Cave), we observed little to no evidence of cooking fires or calcined bone, suggesting that people had little involvement with the accumulation of the faunal remains. Small mammal bones were most likely deposited in the cave by large disc‐faced owls, Tyto novaehollandae (Masked Owl) or Tyto tenebricosa (Sooty Owl).Despite being well dated and largely undisturbed, the Cloggs Cave assemblage does not appear to track known Late Quaternary environmental change. Instead, the complex geomorphology of the area fostered a vegetation mosaic that supported mammals with divergent habitat preferences. The faunal deposit suggests a local ancestral landscape characterised by a resilient mosaic of habitats that persisted over thousands of years, signalling that the Old Ancestors burned landscape fires to encourage and manage patches of different vegetation types and ages within and through periods of climate change. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective There is growing evidence regarding the effectiveness of registrar training through video cameras, which has relevance for quality supervision during times of crises such as the global COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Interviews were conducted in 2012 with supervisors, registrars and patients evaluating video camera use for telesupervision across six rural sites in Gippsland, Australia. Thematic analysis was employed in 2013 - and re-examined in 2021 in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic - to explore user experience with video technology. Results Participants identified advantages of video supervision addressing distance and temporal issues, also emphasising quality supervision and education. Challenges included patient confidentiality, internet stability and loss of serendipitous 'corridor conversations'. Discussion Remote supervision is no longer simply an issue for rural and remote training. During crises such as a global pandemic, tele-supervision becomes the purview of all. There are distinct merits and limitations in adopting video technology, warranting consideration of individual training contexts. These findings can help inform remote supervision via video in varied milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes and analyzes the transfer of smart specialization (S3) from Europe, where it originated, to Gippsland, Australia. It identifies factors that are likely to enhance and, on the other hand, diminish the contribution of S3 to development in this region, and, more generally, to peripheral regions around the world. The policy mobility literature provides the analytical framework. It is used to explore how the validity of assumptions that underlie the efficacy of S3, in a destination site, and the institutional and political factors that must be accounted for through adaptation and reflexive policy learning, impact on the viability of policy transfer. This discussion demonstrates the links between geography, and entrepreneurship and innovation, and the challenges of linking the originally more or less homogenous framework to one concerned with development in heterogenous regions. An action research, constructivist approach is adopted. It yields fine-grained ethnographic data that reflects the importance, for effective evaluation of such transfer, of conceiving of a region as a relational space, where social interaction and connectivity drive and define the nature of change. The concomitant focus on process reveals that the intertemporal interchange between the means and ends of policy makers, must be carefully observed before proceeding to ex post evaluation of outcomes. Consequently, the article adds to the theoretical understanding of the complex processes involved in transferring regional policy approaches across spatial contexts. It provides valuable insights relevant to economic geographers, scholars, and practitioners concerned with regional development and innovation policy, and those exploring concepts and ideas associated with the policy mobility literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the utility of applying the European policy of smart specialisation to tackle spatial divergence in the Australian context. Using a geographical political economy approach and considering a growing literature on innovation in peripheral places, the work explores how smart specialisation is applied in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, a coal‐dependent non‐metropolitan industrial enclave in the Gippsland region. Analysis of the case suggests that market‐based growth processes envisaged by the architects of innovation‐based regional policies such as smart specialisation have been unable to spur development in Australia's disadvantaged non‐metropolitan regions. On the contrary, without more careful appreciation of local contexts, such policies will lead to further spatial divergence and exacerbate divisions between urban and regional communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Scoping economic comparison of pipeline and ship CO2 transport in eastern australia. • CO2 captured from iron and steel plant located in port Kembla, NSW. • Estimated costs are lowest for the hub pipeline transport. • The shipping transport option presented highest cost. • There is still a case to be made for ship transport if the project duration is short. The main source of CO 2 emissions in an integrated steel manufacturing plant comes from the need to use a carbon source, often coal, in the steel making process. Amongst the pathways for reducing CO 2 emissions is the application of carbon capture, transport and storage (CCS) technologies. This paper presents a scoping-level economic evaluation of transport and storage location options for CO 2 captured from an iron and steel plant located in Port Kembla, NSW, Australia. Pipeline (single and hub) and ship transport of CO 2 , and two injection locations are considered. Estimated costs are lowest for the hub transport case injecting at the Gippsland basin (∼35% lower than for single source cases) and highest for the shipping case. For the single-source cases, transport via pipeline to the Darling basin is slightly more attractive in terms of unit costs. The hub transport cases were between two-thirds and half of the cost of the shipping case. Although the shipping transport option presented the highest cost of the cases considered, there is still a case to be made for ship transport if the project duration is short. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been concern globally about the impacts of wildfires on lives, property and biodiversity. Mechanical thinning has been proposed as a way to reduce fire severity. However, its effectiveness appears to vary between regions and ecosystems. Here, we sought to answer the question: Does thinning reduce the severity of wildfire in managed eucalypt forests? We did this by completing an empirical study of the factors affecting two levels of fire severity – crown burn and crown burn/crown scorch in lowland and wet/damp forest burned in 2019‐2020 in East Gippsland, Australia. We found complex interactions between thinning, forest type and time since the last major disturbance in the best‐fitting models for crown burn and crown burn/crown scorch. The probability of a crown burn was higher in younger stands of thinned forest than in unthinned forest. Crown burn risk in thinned forest was characterised by an inverse relationship with increasing time since the last disturbance; there were no such effects in unthinned forest. We found that the probability of crown burn/crown scorch increased with time since last disturbance in both thinned and unthinned lowland forest. The probability of crown burn/crown scorch also increased over time in wet/damp forest, but the patterns were different between unthinned and thinned stands. Risk of crown burn/crown scorch was lower in young thinned forest relative to unthinned forest, but this pattern reversed with increasing time since the last disturbance. Our analyses showed the efficacy of thinning was variable, depending on fire severity, type of forest targeted for management and the age of that forest (as reflected by the time since the last major disturbance). Therefore, thinning interventions to mitigate fire severity should not be implemented without consideration of these factors and are unlikely to be a viable management option in many circumstances. This is because, in some cases, thinning can lead to elevated fire severity (e.g. soon after thinning for crown burn and in older forests for crown burn/crown scorch) and hence have opposite effects to those intended from such activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Hakea Schrad. & J.C.Wendl. is described. Hakea yambulla Molyneux & Forrester sp. nov. is a rare shrub with a restricted known distribution in the Coopracambra National Park, East Gippsland, Victoria. Its relationship with Hakea eriantha R.Br. is discussed and critical differences noted. The authors have made only one field collection of this new species, as fruit in 1979. None of the five types described by Gandoger (1919) as novel species and synonymised under H. eriantha by Barker et al. (1999) represent this new species. No earlier herbarium collections could be located for H. yambulla, which is described from a type grown on the authors' property. Distribution, affinities and conservation status of the new species are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In post-disaster recovery, optimising psychosocial support is important for all groups of the population, yet young adults have tended to be overlooked as a demographic in their own right. Research was conducted to seek the perspectives of young adults through the narrative of their experiences in the years following the 2009 Gippsland bushfires. One emergent theme in the findings highlighted the importance of information and communication during and after events. Participants in this research sought information and support via social media and virtual communities. These sites traverse localised, place-based solutions, enabling young people to communicate over large geographical areas. The platforms aid dynamic and rapidly evolving support by sharing information, feelings and ideas. This research also highlighted the need to identify the gaps in information processes and support systems for young adults and to ensure youth-specific information is included in formal communications. Possible solutions are outlined taking into consideration the perspectives offered by the study participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to our understanding of the 1918–19 influenza pandemic from a regional perspective. It covers the Gippsland region in the southeast of Australia, which traverses the area from Melbourne to the New South Wales border, with a focus on detailing pandemic history at a finely-grained community level. While the public memory of the influenza pandemic is patchy I explore local and family histories to show a vernacular memory of its impact. I also argue that the capacity for Gippsland to respond to the crisis was based on mobilisation and activity carried out during World War I. The role of women in the voluntary sector was crucial in responding to this crisis, especially the Red Cross. At the same time the crisis revealed sometimes-hidden divisions, and I also consider examples of disagreement on issues such as the location of temporary hospitals or the impacts on border areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The ability to identify areas of pasture that are more likely to support damaging levels of the soil-borne, redheaded cockchafer (Adoryphorus couloni) (Burmeister) (RHC) would allow farmers to target expensive control measures. This study explored soil properties, measured via electromagnetic surveys (EM38), pasture biomass via active optical sensors (CropCircle™) and topography via GPS elevation survey as potential indicators of RHC population density. A combination of these variables was used to produce risk maps with an accuracy of 88 % at predicting likely RHC density-categories on a dairy property in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. This risk mapping protocol could be used to improve sampling programs and direct site-specific pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]