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• 2000 abstracts from 6 climate adaptation conferences over 10 years were studied. • Adaptation to climate change in Australia is evolving with more emphasis on action. • Some changes indicate progress, but others suggesting lack of research funding. • There is more conference participation by practitioners, less by researchers. • There is a shift from the natural environment to urban and infrastructure adaptation. The last decade has seen strong global growth in the number of climate change adaptation projects. To understand whether adaptation is progressing and is successful, some form of longitudinal tracking is required. The six adaptation conferences organised by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility between 2010 and 2018 provide a unique and novel opportunity to track adaptation progress in Australia. Each conference was accompanied by a call for abstracts for oral or poster presentation. The submitted abstracts form the basis of the analysis in this paper. We show that, over time, the balance of attendees shifted away from researchers and towards government employees, and the proportion of attendees submitting abstracts declined. The proportion of abstracts submitted by government employees and consultants has increased at more recent conferences. When abstract content is analysed, the results show that, over time, there has been a change in the focus of abstracts with respect to the sector, type and stage of adaptation. These trends indicate maturation of adaptation in Australia, but also suggest that lack of finance for research and action is having an impact. There is evidence that adaptation in Australia is moving from being largely planning based and towards implementation. This is encouraging, given that studies throughout the world have remarked on the barriers that exist in moving from planning to action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Building adaptive reuse plays a critical role in emissions reduction and supports global climate protection. Thus, the designing of future buildings with embedded adaptive reuse potential is a useful criterion for sustainability. This paper describes the development of a new rating tool known as adaptSTAR, which offers holistic and unified design criteria suitable for assessing the adaptive reuse potential of future buildings. The findings show that criteria can be identified and weighted according to physical, economic, functional, technological, social, legal and political categories to calculate an adaptive reuse star rating. In addition, this paper reports on the first stage of the research methodology used in the initial development of the rating tool and concludes with some preliminary observations from 12 selected successful case studies in New South Wales (NSW) and Melbourne, Australia. The use of adaptSTAR in designing future buildings will lead and help promote low carbon built environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Indigenous Australians have often been described as highly mobile people, particularly in historical and remote ‘wilderness’ contexts. To date though, very little research has examined the relationship between Indigenous temporary mobilities and formal education systems, which assume and require ‘settled’ residency practice. This paper situates one such analysis in the northern tourist town of Broome, Western Australia. It draws on both qualitative and quantitative data from educators and schools in and around the town to paint a detailed picture of Indigenous temporary mobilities as they relate to the formal school sector. It demonstrates that Indigenous temporary mobilities, though largely invisible to policy makers, occur frequently and require more intentional and informed responses. The paper concludes by discussing some locally practiced and/or imagined responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores how the history–futures interface can inform a set of concrete adaptation options to climate change for stakeholders in South East Queensland, Australia. It is based on research undertaken as part of the Commonwealth funded South East Queensland Climate Adaptation Research Initiative (SEQ-CARI) that profiled 33 historical case studies to identify common themes in the ways societies responded to stress. The case studies are intended to provide a context for thinking about adaptive capacity with stakeholders in the four areas of human settlement and health; energy; agriculture, forestry and fisheries; and ecosystems and biodiversity. The case studies demonstrate that adaptive capacity varies with context and is affected by the complexity, technology, leadership, institutions and imaginative resources inherent to the social system examined. To increase the possibilities for reflection by stakeholders, the case studies were used to create a set of historical scenarios that explore some of the key features of human responses to challenges such as climate change. This paper draws on this work to suggest a set of ‘practical’ lessons for those engaged with climate change today and into the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the nature and causes of vulnerability to bushfires in the Wulgulmerang district of East Gippsland, Victoria, in south-eastern Australia. In 2003 bushfires devastated the small population of this isolated farming district, destroying homes, agricultural assets and public infrastructure. The fires also adversely affected the health, livelihoods and social lives of many local people. The paper examines: (i) how and why people were exposed to hazards during the bushfires; and (ii) how and why people were differentially capable of coping and adapting to the fires'' impacts. Qualitative methods were primarily used to investigate these questions, including semi-structured interviews with residents and landholders of the district and others who responded to the fires in an official or unofficial capacity. Vulnerability is shown to arise from the circumstances of people''s everyday lives, which are shaped by factors both within and beyond their control. Local pressures and challenges – such as drought, declining farm incomes, depopulation, and the inaccessibility of essential services – are shown to increase people''s exposure to hazards and reduce their capacities to cope and adapt. The paper demonstrates the fundamental importance of sustainable livelihoods and regional economic vitality to the long-term goal of vulnerability reduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In most countries, owner responsibility exists under Common Law to manage and maintain dams according to current standards. However, farm dam safety in Australia is being flouted and the sustainability of farming businesses compromised because of the potential and severe consequences of dam failure. This paper explores management and policy issues associated with safety of farm dam water storage through a comparison of developments in two Australian states against international benchmarks. Historical review and a longitudinal study over a 12-year period provides the basis for case analysis and demonstrates the application of the benchmarked model policy selection guidelines. Research results show South Australia is lagging international best practice in a number of ways whilst Tasmania provides leadership. The contribution of this paper is a regulatory mix analysis approach, incorporating a cost-effective spillway safety engineering/accounting tool, developed and demonstrated through Australian case studies, that can be applied by any jurisdiction wanting to check and/or improve its farm dam safety management and provide a clearer analysis of the social and environmental costs and threats associated with on-farm dam safety issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting population growth to meet the service needs of a growing population is a vexed issue. The task of providing essential services becomes even more difficult when future population growth forecasts are unavailable or unreliable. The aim of this paper is to identify the main methods used in population forecasting and thereby select an approach to demonstrate that such forecasting can be undertaken with certainly and transparency, barring exogenous events. We then use the population forecasts to plan for service needs that arise from changes in population in the future. Interestingly, although there are techniques available to forecast such future population changes and much of this forecasting occurs, such work remains somewhat clouded in mystery. We strive to rectify this situation by applying an approach that is verifiable, transparent, and easy to comprehend. For this purpose we select two regional councils in Queensland, Australia. The experience derived from forecasting shows that forecasts for service needs of larger populations are more easily and accurately derived than for smaller populations. Hence, there is some evidence, at least from a service provision point of view, to justify the benefits of council/municipality amalgamation in recent times in Australia and elsewhere. The methodology used in this paper for population forecasting and the provision of service needs based on such forecasts will be of particular interest to policy decision-makers and planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the late 1990s, voluntary travel behaviour change (VTBC) has been an increasingly popular strategy in Australia, applied to reduce both reliance on the car and greenhouse gas emissions. Early efforts to evaluate the impact of this strategy were generally implemented by the agency that also implemented the policy and used small sample, self-report surveys. The paper starts out by discussing the nature and size of travel behaviour changes that are frequently expected in current policy, noting that these are often smaller than the sampling and measurement errors in traditional methods of measuring travel behaviour. The paper then discusses some alternative methods of evaluating voluntary travel behaviour change implementations using panels to reduce sampling error, and using a combination of personal Global Positioning System devices and odometer reading surveys to measure travel patterns. From these considerations, a number of guidelines are suggested for what is required to evaluate voluntary travel behaviour change. The paper describes three recent case studies in Australia in which such methods have been used and evaluates the methodological approaches used in these studies against the suggested guidelines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Systematic differences in the ways that people use and interpret response categories (differential item functioning, DIF ) can introduce bias when using self-assessments to compare health or quality of life across heterogeneous groups. This paper reports on an exploratory analysis involving the use of anchoring vignettes to identify DIF in a commonly used measure for assessing health-related quality of life - namely the EQ-5D. Using data from a bespoke (i.e. custom) survey that recruited a representative sample of 4300 respondents from the general Australian population in 2014 and 2015, we find that the assumptions of response consistency (RC) and vignette equivalence (VE) hold in a sub-sample of respondents aged 55–65 years (n = 914), which demonstrates that vignettes can appropriately identify DIF in EQ-5D reporting for this age group. We find that the EQ-5D is indeed subject to DIF, and that failure to account for DIF can lead to conclusions that are misleading when using the instrument to compare health or quality of life across heterogeneous groups. We also provide several important insights in terms of the identifying assumptions of RC and VE. We conclude that the implications of DIF could be of considerable importance, not only for outcomes research, but for funding decisions in healthcare more broadly given the strong reliance on patient-reported outcome measures in economic evaluations for health technology assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is a need to better understand the interests of actors in the planning and management of major events. The diversity of actor perspectives about an event creates a wicked problem set that event organisers and public officials find difficult to understand, let alone address. This paper focuses on problem identification as one stage in the event planning and management process. It explores how problem structuring can contribute to more effective planning and management of actors' interests. The value of Q methodology is explored through a case study of the Australian World Rally Championship. Four perspectives are identified in the problem structuring process: the Skeptics, the Materialists, the Middle-grounders and the Supporters. The findings demonstrate that Q methodology is effective in identifying the depth and breadth of different problem perspectives, providing insights into the importance of different perspectives, and can be used reflexively to anticipate and manage potential conflict. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Surface–groundwater (SW–GW) interactions constitute a critical proportion of the surface and groundwater balance especially during dry conditions. Conjunctive management of surface and groundwater requires an explicit account of the exchange flux between surface and groundwater when modelling the two systems. This paper presents a case study in the predominantly gaining Boggabri–Narrabri reach of the Namoi River located in eastern Australia. The first component of the study uses the Upper Namoi numerical groundwater model to demonstrate the importance of incorporating SW–GW interactions into river management models. The second component demonstrates the advantages of incorporating groundwater processes in the Namoi River model. Results of the numerical groundwater modelling component highlighted the contrasting groundwater dynamics close to, and away from the Namoi River where lower declines were noted in a near-field well due to water replenishment sourced from river depletion. The contribution of pumping activities to river depletion was highlighted in the results of the uncertainty analysis, which showed that the SW–GW exchange flux is the most sensitive to pumping rate during dry conditions. The uncertainty analysis also showed that after a drought period, the 95% prediction interval becomes larger than the simulated flux, which implies an increasing probability of losing river conditions. The future prospect of a gaining Boggabri–Narrabri reach turning into losing was confirmed with a hypothetical extended drought scenario during which persistent expansion of groundwater pumping was assumed. The river modelling component showed that accounting for SW–GW interactions improved the predictions of low flows, and resulted in a more realistic calibration of the Namoi River model. Incorporating SW–GW interactions into river models allows explicit representation of groundwater processes that provides a mechanism to account for the impacts of additional aquifer stresses that may be introduced beyond the calibration period of the river model. Conventional river models that neglect the effects of such future stresses suffer from the phenomenon of non-stationarity and hence have inferior low flow predictions past the calibration period of the river model. The collective knowledge acquired from the two modelling exercises conducted in this study leads to a better understanding of SW–GW interactions in the Namoi River thus leading to improved water management especially during low flow conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a methodology for modelling medium term (annual to decadal) cross shore beach profile change and erosion. The statistical-process based approach (SPA) presented here combines detailed statistical modelling of offshore storm climate with a process based morphodynamic model (XBeach), to assess, and quantify morphodynamic variability of cross shore beach profiles. Until now, the use of process based models has been limited to simulations at storm event timescales. This methodology therefore represents the first application of a fully process based model in longer term simulations, as such, the approach requires simulation of post-storm beach profile recovery as well as individual event impacts. Narrabeen Beach, NSW, Australia was used as a case study for application of the technique due to the availability of an extensive set of storm and beach profile data. The results presented here demonstrate that the methodology produces encouraging results for determining medium term beach profile variability and erosion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Transaction cost theory and application tells us that when buyers and sellers in a market incur transaction costs, intermediaries may become involved. Specifically, intermediaries influence the cause of the transaction costs to buyers and sellers such that transaction costs are reduced. In this paper we assess if and how this occurs for a number of case study government created and private emergent intermediaries in Australian environmental offset markets. We find that the causes of transaction costs to buyers and sellers in offset markets – asset specificity, uncertainty and transaction frequency are influenced downwards by intermediaries. The degree of influence depends on the nature of the good traded in the offset market. We also assessed if the public intermediaries studied were operating in the offset markets to reduce the incidence of probity hazard (poor transactions) from private intermediaries. We found that this was not the case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To feed a growing world population in the coming decades, agriculture must strive to reduce the gap between the yields that are currently achieved by farmers (Ya) and those potentially attainable in rainfed farming systems (Yw). The first step towards reducing yield gaps (Yg) is to obtain realistic estimates of their magnitude and their spatial and temporal variability. In this paper we describe a new yield gap assessment framework. The framework uses statistical yield and cropping area data, remotely sensed data, cropping system simulation and GIS mapping to calculate wheat yield gaps at scales from 1.1km cells to regional. The framework includes ad hoc on-ground testing of the calculated yield gaps. This framework was applied to wheat in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. Estimated Yg over the whole Wimmera region varied annually from 0.63 to 4.12Mgha−1with an average of 2.00Mgha−1. Expressed as a relative yield (Y %) the range was 26.3–77.9% with an average of 52.7%. Similarly large spatial variability was described in a Wimmera yield gap map. Such maps can be used to show where efforts to bridge the yield gap are likely to have the biggest impacts. Bridging the exploitable yield gap in the Wimmera region by increasing average Y % to 80% would increase average annual wheat production from 1.09Mtonnes to 1.65Mtonnes. Model estimates of Yw and Yg were compared with data from crop yield contests, experimental variety trials, and on-farm water use and yields. These alternative approaches agreed well with the modelling results, indicating that the proposed framework provided a robust and widely applicable method of determining yield gaps. Its successful implementation requires that: (1) Ya as well as the area and geospatial distribution of wheat cropping are well defined; (2) there is a crop model with proven performance in the local agro-ecological zone; (3) daily weather and soil data (such as PAWC) required by crop models are available throughout the area; and (4) local agronomic best practice is well defined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Yield plays a central role in the processes, practices, management and operation of urban water supply systems. Improved accuracy of the yield estimate is important and can be obtained by improving knowledge of important variables. Yield is typically estimated via computational simulation using the entire sequence of available historic climate data. Sensitivity analysis provides a framework and many techniques that can identify important variables in a computational model. Using the Morris method, this paper investigates the importance of input variables used in the estimation of yield of urban water supply systems. The Barwon urban water supply system in Australia is used as the case study. Using a number of climate scenarios of various lengths, sensitivity analysis showed that the security criteria of the Barwon system was the most important to the yield estimate. The upper restriction rule curve also showed notable importance. Significantly the results showed that the use of a single climate sequence for estimating yield would produce misrepresentative results for another climate scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A large part of the world faces the problem of aridity, e.g. in Australia, the semi-arid and arid regions occupy about 50–75% of the country. There is a serious lack of data on many key hydrological processes in the arid regions, which makes it difficult to understand the hydrological processes in these regions. Although arid regions are characterised by a very low mean annual rainfall, it can experience severe flooding causing widespread damage. In hydrological literature, there is a limited presence of the application of regional flood frequency analysis (RFFA) studies for the world arid regions due to limited data availability. This paper presents a RFFA study for the semi-arid and arid regions of Australia using the most up-to-date data set and compares the results with that of the world data. It has been found that arid catchments exhibit a higher loss and lower runoff coefficient values as expected. Based on four model selection criteria and L-moments ratio diagram, it has been found that a Generalised Pareto distribution is preferable to the Exponential distribution to fit the partial duration series flood data in the arid regions of Australia. It has also been found that the arid region exhibits much steeper flood frequency growth curve than that of the humid region and the growth curve gets steeper with the decreasing mean annual rainfall. The developed growth curve for the semi-arid and arid region of Australia is found to be similar to other typical semi-arid and arid regions of the world. The developed prediction equation for the mean annual flood in the semi-arid and arid region of Australia uses two readily obtainable predictor variables (catchment area and design rainfall intensity), which can be used along with the developed growth curve to estimate design floods for the ungauged catchments in these regions with reasonable accuracy. The growth curve developed in this study is primarily applicable to the semi-arid and arid regions of Australia; however, this may be adapted to other similar regions of the world along with the locally developed prediction equation for the scaling factor (i.e. mean annual flood in this case) to derive preliminary design flood estimates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Indigenous rights, values and interests relating to water have been identified by Australia’s National Water Commission as a national priority area, requiring greater understanding, research attention and government action. Yet Indigenous water values are rarely addressed in water planning, despite objectives in national policy requiring Indigenous participation and the identification of Indigenous social, spiritual and customary values in water plans. Water planners are presently equipped with a very limited number of engagement tools tailored to the water resource management context to redress the historical neglect of Indigenous interests. In an Australian research project focused on water planning, seven participatory planning tools were employed in three Australian case studies with different social and hydrological characteristics to improve the way in which Indigenous values are elicited and incorporated and to enhance the status of Indigenous knowledge in water planning. The results from the two Murray Darling Basin (MDB) case studies reveal the many ways in which Indigenous values have been adversely affected by recent water resource developments and concomitant water scarcity. In the third case on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory, where land title to the entire water planning area is vested in Indigenous traditional owners, methods were refined to ensure engagement and generate capacity to manage the development of a solely Indigenous-owned, first-generation Water Management Strategy, in collaboration with a range of stakeholders. This paper describes the needs and aspirations of Indigenous people, the engagement strategies employed to elicit Indigenous knowledge, assess Indigenous values, and incorporate the results into three developing water plans. In addition, it outlines a set of general principles to guide water planning in other regions and thereby to improve Indigenous access to water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an essential tool for providing waste management and recycling workers with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to beneficially influence their own employment and career development; and to also ensure productivity and safe working conditions within the organisations in which they are employed. Current training opportunities within Queensland for the sector are limited and not widely communicated or marketed; with other States, particularly Victoria and New South Wales, realising higher numbers of VET enrollments for waste management courses. This paper presents current VET opportunities and trends for the Queensland waste management sector. Results from a facilitated workshop to identify workforce requirements and future training needs organised by the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of Queensland (WCRAQ) are also presented and discussion follows on the future training needs of the industry within Queensland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Community engagement in higher education is a shift beyond the traditional roles of instruction and research. This paper presents a transnational view of community engagement developed from two case studies of universities in the Philippines and Australia. The study, revealed variations in the way community engagement is understood and implemented by universities across different countries. These variations are related to economic, social–cultural, political and organizational factors. The role of university leadership was found to have a critical role in embedding community engagement in the organizational identity and image. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents an integrated modeling method for multi-criteria land-use suitability assessment (LSA) using classification rule discovery (CRD) by ant colony optimisation (ACO) in ArcGIS. This new attempt applies artificial intelligent algorithms to intelligentise LSA by discovering suitability classification rules. The methodology is implemented as a tool called ACO–LSA. The tool can generate rules which are straightforward and comprehensible for users with high classification accuracy and simple rule list in solving CRD problems. A case study in the Macintyre Brook Catchment of southern Queensland in Australia is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of this new modeling technique. The results have addressed the major advantages of this novel approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The potential for oil rigs to transport diverse, reef-like communities around the globe makes them high risk vectors for the inadvertent spread of non-indigenous species (NIS). This paper describes two case studies where a suite of pre-border management approaches was applied to semi-submersible drilling rigs. In the first case study, a drilling rig was defouled in-water prior to departure from New Zealand to Australia. Risk mitigation measures were successful in reducing biosecurity risks to the recipient region, but they resulted in the unintentional introduction of the non-indigenous brown mussel (Perna perna) to New Zealand when the rig was defouled in-water by divers. In the second case study, lessons learned from this high-profile incursion resulted in a more structured approach to pre-border management, and this serves as a useful template for future rig transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Public expectations of soil management are gradually expanding beyond traditional primary production requirements to include diverse ecosystem services. In Australia, as in many other countries, the accommodation of these new expectations will require shifts in the practice of private land managers. In turn, this may require public intervention and the expenditure of public funds. However, public net benefits from soil management interventions are rarely established, in part due to a lack of understanding of the conceptual links between management changes, soil health, and associated services and benefits. This paper uses an ecosystem services-based approach to examine these links from an Australian perspective. Entrenchment of the popular soil health concept in field-based assessments of agricultural production potential was found to limit the concept''s applicability to questions of broader public benefit. Without expanding soil health to include more ecological indicators, the concept risks remaining peripheral to contemporary visions of multiple-outcome soil management in Australia. Conceptual and case study links were examined between soil properties and processes, soil-based services, and private and public net benefits. In this framework, benefits were produced from services, and were considered a more tangible point for public understanding and valuation than services. The qualitative case study highlighted many knowledge gaps relating to non-agricultural services and benefits from soils, particularly in the scaling-up of sub-paddock measurements, and in the form and constancy of relationships among services and benefits. Criteria for identifying priority public benefits from soil management were examined, namely, likelihood, degree, consequence, scale, direction, time lag, and valuation. Assumptions about these criteria require rigorous testing so that the what, where, when, and how of public benefits from changed soil management can be more clearly defined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The increasing complexity and flexibility of modern land use requires that cadastres need an improved capacity to manage the third dimension. As the world is per definition not static, there also will be needs in relation to the representation of the temporal (fourth) dimension either integrated with the spatial dimensions or as separate attribute(s). In this paper, registration of utility networks in cadastre are considered in this 3D+time (=4D) context. A number of countries in the world have developed methods to register utility networks complying with their legal, organizational, and technical structure. We researched the different approaches of three specific countries: Turkey, The Netherlands and Queensland, Australia. These are analysed to evaluate a solution that matches legal, organizational, and technical cadastral requirements in the most optimal way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rainwater tanks have become popular in large Australian cities due to water shortage and greater public awareness towards sustainable urban development. Rainwater harvesting in multi-unit buildings in Australia is less common. This paper investigates the water savings potential of rainwater tanks fitted in multi-unit residential buildings in three cities of Australia: Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. It is found that for multi-unit buildings, a larger tank size is more appropriate to maximise water savings. It is also found that rainwater tank of appropriate size in a multi-unit building can provide significant mains water savings even in dry years. A prediction equation is developed which can be used to estimate average annual water savings from having a rainwater tank in a multi-unit building in these three Australian cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Knowledge of erosion rates and sediment yields from gullies is critical for the effective prioritisation of management efforts aimed at reducing the impact of gully-derived sediments on water quality. This paper describes a rapid assessment method for estimating sidewall gully erosion rates for already established gully networks. It combines a conceptual-empirical model of the cycle of gully initiation and stabilisation with an easy-to-apply technique for assessing gully extent and dimensions. The method is illustrated using a case study of the Avon-Richardson Catchment of north-central Victoria, Australia. It is estimated that a total of 4.6×106 tonnes of sediment have been generated in that catchment from gully erosion since the latest major phase of gullying in the mid 1800s. This is equivalent to 8.9tha−1 y−1 if sediment generation was evenly distributed spatially and temporally across the 3300km2 catchment over 160years prior to 2010. Current rates of gully erosion are estimated to be 4700ty−1 (equivalent to 1.4tha−1 y−1). The results are comparable with observed rates of sidewall erosion in the Avon-Richardson Catchment. Further testing is required to build confidence in its applicability to assess sediment yields and for assisting regional authorities to plan remediation efforts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite demands for evidence-based research and practice, little attention has been given to systematic approaches to the development of complex interventions to tackle workplace health problems. This paper outlines an approach to the initial stages of a workplace program development which integrates health promotion and disease management. The approach commences with systematic and genuine processes of obtaining information from key stakeholders with broad experience of these interventions. This information is constructed into a program framework in which practice-based and research-informed elements are both valued. We used this approach to develop a workplace education program to reduce the onset and impact of a common chronic disease – osteoarthritis. To gain information systematically at a national level, a structured concept mapping workshop with 47 participants from across Australia was undertaken. Participants were selected to maximise the whole-of-workplace perspective and included health education providers, academics, clinicians and policymakers. Participants generated statements in response to a seeding statement: Thinking as broadly as possible, what changes in education and support should occur in the workplace to help in the prevention and management of arthritis? Participants grouped the resulting statements into conceptually coherent groups and a computer program was used to generate a ‘cluster map’ along with a list of statements sorted according to cluster membership. In combination with research-based evidence, the concept map informed the development of a program logic model incorporating the program''s guiding principles, possible service providers, services, training modes, program elements and the causal processes by which participants might benefit. The program logic model components were further validated through research findings from diverse fields, including health education, coaching, organisational learning, workplace interventions, workforce development and osteoarthritis disability prevention. In summary, wide and genuine consultation, concept mapping, and evidence-based program logic development were integrated to develop a whole-of-system complex intervention in which potential effectiveness and assimilation into the workplace for which optimised. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Maturity index (MI) is a key determinant of pea softness and ultimately retail value. Pea seed development goes through the optimal market stage for human consumption about a week before harvest. MI increases rapidly during the last 3–4 days prior to the optimal harvest which is when there is a need for better forecasting capability. Extensive field sampling is currently used to track MI in each of the individual paddocks, though it has limited ability to predict MI more than a day ahead. We developed an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model that complements field sampling by forecasting the MI trend several days ahead. It was built using historical harvest information along with weather and climate forecasts. We implement and evaluate the ANN in a large pea growing region in Tasmania, Australia, and this paper highlights key results. The ANN produced an average error of 31.8MI units when forecasting MI at harvest with a 7-day lead time versus the current manual method which produced an average error of 36.6MI units for a lead time of 2 days. This means the model provides the ability to not only harvest peas closer to their ideal MI but also plan harvesting and transport logistics with a much greater lead time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The goal of this paper is to examine the determinants of oil consumption for a panel consisting of six Australian States and one territory, namely Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern territory, for the period 1985–2006. We find that oil consumption, oil prices and income are panel cointegrated. We estimate long-run elasticities and find that oil prices have had a statistically insignificant impact on oil consumption, while income has had a statistically significant positive effect on oil consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aims of this paper are to give a brief overview of world sheep production at present and to describe in detail sheep production and profitability using New Zealand as a case example. Sheep numbers have been declining throughout the world over the last five years, resulting in decreased sheep meat production and a resultant shortage of supply. There is evidence that demand in the short-term will not be met by the major exporters (New Zealand and Australia). Although sheep numbers have declined in New Zealand, production has increased dramatically, with lambing percentages increasing from 98% in 1987 to 125% in 2008 and carcass weights from 14 to 17kg, respectively. Despite this production increase, return on capital in the farming business has been around 1% per annum. However, property values have increased by around 10% offsetting the low return on capital from farming sheep. There are a number of challenges facing New Zealand''s sheep farmers, namely changing land-use patterns, climate change and greenhouse gas mitigation, all of which will potentially impact on future profitability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China''s economic rise has had a significant impact on the global economy in terms of trade patterns and orientation. Much has been done to quantify the impact of China''s economic rise on international trade, but very little has been done to assess its implications for logistics. In this paper, we examine the effects of China''s continued economic rise on the Australian logistics sector. Unlike previous work that used partial equilibrium models, we use a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. This allows us to capture the direct and indirect ramifications of trade and other economic developments associated with China''s economic rise. The results are mixed between sub-sectors, but overall the Australian logistics sector would potentially benefit significantly from China''s continued economic rise. However, these potential benefits will hinge partly on the Australian logistics sector''s ability to respond to these opportunities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) have been introduced in a number of different countries, including Australia. Using seven Australian commonwealth fisheries the paper undertakes an ex ante cost–benefit analysis whether to introduce ITQs into these fisheries. The analysis uses five cost–benefit criteria, and in particular the gross value of production (GVP), to evaluate whether ITQs should be introduced or not. For fisheries where the net benefits do not currently justify ITQs, a pathway is provided to improve management outcomes with the use of individual transferable efforts units (ITEs). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The interrelationship between gender and class in rural spaces has received little attention. While rural scholars have focused on the implications for class from processes of gentrification and agricultural and rural restructuring, these analyses have remained largely ungendered. Similarly, feminist rural studies have rarely explored subjectivity as gendered and classed. This paper contributes to rural theories of class and gender by drawing on the work of contemporary feminist class theorists to explore class as gendered and inscribed through personal memory, community narrative and through everyday values and interactions associated with work, leisure and family. To explore intersections of gender, class and rurality, the article draws on data from interviews from two separate Australian studies of farming families. Narratives highlighted the ambiguity of class, the gendered and classed nature of voluntary organisations in rural spaces, and moral values and signifiers associated with what it is to be a ‘good’ farmer and a ‘good’ community member. The data indicate how values of moral worth are gendered and classed and inscribed on farming women and men. This qualitative examination of gender and class in rural spaces draws attention to class as being more than a ranking on an occupational scale, property ownership or degrees of engagement in consumption. Rather, it reveals class as emotionally inscribed in ways that are gendered, economic and moral, and represented through symbolic signifiers and cultural narratives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Australia has developed a Harvest Strategy Policy (HSP) for Commonwealth fisheries. A harvest strategy specifies the management actions necessary to achieve defined resource objectives in a given fishery, resulting in a formal and proactive management approach that is transparent to all stakeholders. The objectives of the HSP are defined in terms of target and limit biomass reference points, although proxies can be used. It is a significant challenge, therefore, to develop harvest strategies for most small fisheries, which are typically data-poor, have only basic or no formal stock assessments, and have low Gross Value of Production (GVP). For the small Commonwealth fisheries, even indirect biomass estimates are unavailable and, due to their low GVP, it is unlikely that relevant research will be undertaken to determine reliable biomass estimates in the foreseeable future. This paper provides insight into developing harvest strategy frameworks that reconcile the reality and limitations of small fisheries with the intent of the HSP: to cease or avoid overfishing, to rebuild overfished stocks, and to maintain stocks at levels corresponding to the maximum economic yield. The process of harvest strategy development is evaluated and general principles for the pragmatic development and implementation of harvest strategies for small, low-value, data-poor fisheries are considered. These general principles include (i) the development of sets of triggers with conservative response levels, with progressively higher data and analysis requirements at higher response levels, (ii) identifying data gathering protocols and subsequent simple analyses to better assess the fishery, (iii) archiving biological data for possible future analysis, and (iv) the use of spatial management, either as the main aspect of the harvest strategy or an augmentation with other measures. The value of an iterative approach involving stakeholders and managers is emphasized. The above principles are illustrated by three case studies from Australia''s small Commonwealth fisheries: the Western Deepwater and North West Slope Trawl Fisheries, the Coral Sea Fishery, and the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the process and outcomes of a major buyback of commercial fishing concessions across all Australian Commonwealth-managed fisheries through 2006. It argues that the intent of the buyback program was ambiguous, the process was flawed, and the outcomes of doubtful benefit to fish or to fishermen. This case study directs attention to deeper issues that prevail in forms of managing people under the guise of a non-explicit ideology of “extol and control”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The shift from top-down to participatory development models has given “local people” a voice, but in practice, real participation is often elusive. Reflecting on a series of development projects by and for indigenous Australians, this article probes the complexity of social relationships which underlie the apparently straightforward concept of participation. This paper argues for greater attention to “development relations”: the way that various actors in the development process relate to one another, and how these relationships directly influence project success. Key principles of power, motivation, legitimacy, and trust emerge to assist practitioners in understanding complex social relationships and managing the pitfalls of participatory development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The DDA simulates the mining-induced rock avalanche. • The failure process of the landslide was numerically identified. • The simulated failure process correlates well with the expert image and the local landform. This study numerically simulated the failure process of a mining-induced landslide at Nattai North, Australia. Results obtained using Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA) matched the conceptual failure process suggested by local geologists and the observed maximum run-out distance. The maximum velocity of the sliding rocks exceeded 40 m/s. Computational results showed that the slope with inward sub-horizontal bedding planes and sub-vertical discontinuities remained stable if the mining-induced high principle stresses did not fracture the rocks near the slope toe. Failure of the rocks near the toe of the slope was a key causal factor in the subsequent landslide. This paper presents the first numerical simulation of the post-failure behavior of the mining-induced landslide at the Nattai North site. It also represents the first DDA simulation to clarify the chain reaction of a mining-induced landslide and demonstrate its applicability in such investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shopping can be one of the primary motivations for tourism, and commercial revenues are becoming an indispensable source of income for airports. Understanding airport shoppers' satisfaction is thus becoming increasingly relevant for airport operators and remains largely unexplored in the academic literature. This paper contributes to the strand of the literature analysing the satisfaction of duty-free shoppers through a six-item construct that was modelled using a hybrid fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method. A questionnaire was administered at the international terminal of a regional airport in Australia. The results show that the differences in terms of place of residence and passengers' destination route are factors influencing the level of shoppers' satisfaction. Residents in Australia and passengers travelling short-haul are more satisfied than non-residents of Australia and those travelling long-haul. With respect to each attribute, the satisfaction elasticities show that shoppers are more elastic in terms of the variety of items available in the shops and the choice of international brands; and satisfaction is less elastic with respect to the ease with which specific items can be found, as well as the 'look and feel' of the shops. • Duty-free shoppers' satisfaction is analysed with a hybrid-fuzzy TOPSIS method. • Place of residence and destination affect airport duty-free shoppers' satisfaction. • Australian residents are more satisfied than those who do not reside in Australia. • Short-haul passengers are more satisfied than long-haul passengers. • Variety of items and international brands impact duty-free shopping satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Translating mineral system models to mappable spatial proxies for mineral potential mapping. • Combination of expert knowledge and data-driven analysis yields meaningful and useful results. • A case study from a pilot project in the Southern New England Orogen in Australia is presented. • Detailed project results released as a mineral systems atlas, which is a free digital data package. An understanding of the modelled mineral system and high-quality data that accurately map this system are prerequisites for producing geologically meaningful mineral potential maps. Critical to this is the translation of the targeted mineral system components into mappable targeting criteria and their spatial proxies. This paper presents a workflow that illustrates this translation process, also highlighting that, if done well, mineral potential mapping can produce statistically valid, geologically meaningful, and practically useful results that not only predict the location of known mineralisation but also identify new target areas. An important ingredient of the workflow described herein is what we call a mineral systems atlas. This compendium includes (1) a spatial data table detailing the translation of the modelled mineral system, (2) the predictive maps that capture the mappable components of the targeted mineral system, and (3) the final mineral potential maps. A case study implementing and illustrating this workflow is presented for intrusion-related Au and Sn ± W mineral systems in the Southern New England Orogen, New South Wales, Australia. Importantly, the mineral potential maps generated as part of this study succeeded in identifying areas of known intrusion-related Au and Sn ± W mineralisation and new areas with high potential for discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]