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Public education is not just a way to organise and fund education. It is also the expression of a particular ideal about education and of a particular way to conceive of the relationship between education and society. The ideal of public education sees education as an important dimension of the common good and as an important institution in securing the common good. The common good is never what individuals or particular groups want or desire, but always reaches beyond such particular desires towards that which societies as a whole should consider as desirable. This does, of course, put the common good in tension with the desires of individuals and groups. Neo-liberal modes of governance have, over the past decades, put this particular educational set up under pressure and have, according to some, eroded the very idea of the common good. This set of contributions reflects on this state of affairs, partly through an exploration of the idea of publicness itself -- how it can be rearticulated and regained -- and partly through reflections on the current state of education in the 'north' and the 'south.'

Background: Time insufficiency is frequently cited as a reason for poor dietary habits. This does not adequately explain the variations in how time is perceived as a factor in healthy eating. Aims: This study placed the eating behaviors of rural Australian women within the contexts of their stories to understand the factors that influenced healthy eating and how rural communities could enhance their health and well-being. Method: A three-phase sequential multimode narrative inquiry was used within four communities in rural Queensland, Australia. Each phase used a different mode of data collection: photo elicitation focus groups, narrative interviews, participatory workshops. Data were thematically analyzed iteratively to inform subsequent phases. Results. Nine final themes were identified. This article explored the theme of time and two contrasting perceptions of time sufficiency regarding healthy eating within a rural context during a drought. Discussion: Exploration of "time as a commodity" and "time as a duty" allowed a deeper understanding of time as a social and environmental determinant of health. Conclusion: Time's influence on healthy eating is much more than the minutes it takes to prepare a meal. To fully appreciate its impact, time should be considered as a social and environmental determinant of health.

The purpose of this article is to reflect upon our work as two insider teacher researchers using action research methodology with teacher colleagues, marginalised young people and community stakeholders to develop a sustainable and socially just senior secondary 'second chance' school for young people who had left schooling without credentials. Twelve years after our beginning developmental work, the Second Chance Community College (SCCC) continues with over 100 students enrolled in 2015. It has catered for over 1000 students since its development. Through pursuing critical forms of action research, enriched through active participation within a university led professional learning community, we became 'radical pragmatic' educators. This called us into collaborative, tactical and critical teacher work to navigate through constraining neoliberal logic with students and colleagues, reassembling our professional selves and radically changing the SCCC design from the design logics of conventional secondary schools. The research demonstrated that teachers can build a socially just school for marginalised young people and as a consequence make a significant difference to the lives of young people no longer involved in schooling. Through pursuing the research within community, engendering partnerships with young people and youth stakeholders, engaging in teacher activism and seeking methodological and tactical support from a university-led professional learning community, we made a small contribution to the lives of young people who without our work, would have continued to be disconnected from the educational project.

The satellite city of Elizabeth, located 30 km north of South Australia's capital Adelaide, was established in the 1950s as an experiment in urban sociological planning, populated with new arrivals and hailed as the 'City of Tomorrow'. By the 1970s, it had declined into one of the most disadvantaged communities in South Australia, with intergenerational unemployment, poverty and social dysfunction leading to disengagement and disenfranchisement of the current generation of young people living there. In 2007 the local council developed a community facility to attract young people into creative learning and expression through music and the performing arts. This was the council's response to its shared responsibility for caring for the young people in its community and their personal, social and educational wellbeing. 'Northern Sound System' offers programs and resources for contemporary music composing, recording and performance. This article reports on the affordances of applying a youth participatory inquiry approach in a study in Elizabeth, to establish young people's views on music and the creative arts in relation to their lifeworlds, in particular their interests, personal wellbeing and social interactions. Most young people reported music played a large part in maintaining a positive outlook. However, there were differences in how young men and women talked about the creative arts in their lives, which may have implications for the provision of programs and safe spaces for young people to 'hang out' and engage in creative pursuits.

Effective social work practice with Aboriginal peoples and communities requires knowledge of operational communication skills and practice methods. In addition, there is also a need for practitioners to be aware of the history surrounding white engagement with Aboriginal communities and their cultures. Indeed, the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) acknowledges the importance of social workers practising cultural safety. Engendering knowledge of cultural safety for social work students is the opportunity to listen and talk with Aboriginal people who have experienced the destructive impacts of colonisation and the subsequent disruption to family and community. This article discusses the use of field experiences within a Masters of Social Work (Qualifying) Program (MSW) as an educational method aimed at increasing student awareness of contemporary Aboriginal issues and how to practice effectively and within a culturally safe manner.

Pre-service teacher degree programs are increasingly crowded with subjects covering the wide gamut of knowledge a teacher requires. Ensuring musical knowledge and language for classroom teaching poses a difficult problem for teacher educators. This article examines the challenges of including in the pre-service classroom teaching program a music sequence of learning that successfully imbues an understanding of music. It demonstrates how music education has been carried out at Charles Sturt University on the Albury-Wodonga campus over the last five years. It also discusses the difficulties of retaining successful music learning in the new cross-campus degree, due to external limitations and cross-campus facilities.

Custodial grandparenting (i.e. raising grandchildren on a full-time basis) is a global phenomenon. Despite the hardships associated with 24/7 custodial care, grandparents continue to invest in their grandchildren. Why they do so is a matter of much conjecture. For example, it has been posited that grandparents assume custodial care of their grandchildren for reasons of necessity, altruism, aged-care reciprocity, or cultural continuity. This study examines the often overlooked issue of grandparent enjoyment as a motivating force behind custodial grandparenting caregiving investment. The results of our analysis of 88 completed Grandparent Needs, Wellbeing and Health Surveys determined that custodial grandparents' investiture in their grandchildren is influenced by three types of enjoyment, namely those derived from engagement in the child-centred nurturance of an at-risk grandchild, dyadic engagement in shared activities with their grandchild, and the personal grandparent-centred pleasure benefits to be had from fulfilling a grandcarer role. This study additionally reveals that informal custodial grandparents experience lower levels of closeness to their grandchild/ren, satisfaction with their grandparenting role, and assessment of their state of health than do formal (legal) custodial grandparents. The need to educate custodial grandparents of the potential health benefits to be had from investiture in their grandchildren is discussed.

This study evaluated a parent-delivered social and emotional skills intervention--the Secret Agent Society (SAS) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD). The study was a pre-post follow-up design with an 8-week baseline period and 6-week follow-up period. Participants were 38 parents and 41 children recruited from regional/rural Queensland and metropolitan Brisbane, Australia. Child participants completed measures of social skills and emotion management, and parents completed measures related to child behavioral problems, parent self-efficacy, child anxiety, and parent emotional distress at pre-intervention, post intervention, and 6-week follow-up. Analyses of outcomes were conducted with a series of repeated-measures MANOVAs and one-way ANOVAs at post intervention and 6-week follow-up. There were significant improvements in child social skills reported by parents with gains maintained at 6-week follow-up with large effect sizes. Parent self-efficacy, child behavior, and child anxiety levels also improved significantly. In addition, outcomes from the SAS self-directed program were compared with the original clinic-based program conducted by Beaumont and Sofronoff. Results indicated greater changes in social skills outcomes in the clinic-based program and no difference between groups on emotional management strategies. The limitations of the study and clinical implications are discussed.

Over the past few years there has been a rapid growth in online learning in higher education institutions in most developed countries around the world. However, many developing countries have not yet embraced this educational approach. In this paper, we discuss some of the benefits and challenges for implementing online learning in developing countries, and some of the issues students from developing countries face when studying abroad. We then describe how an online course, based on authentic learning principles (Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2010), was designed and implemented using a design-based research approach to provide Cambodian university students with the opportunity to experience online learning for the first time. The data findings and facilitator reflections for the initial implementation of the course are then presented and discussed. Finally, we provide recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the course design for future implementations.

This article aims to theorise a storyline account of a collaborative three-year action research project into schooling re-engagement using a Bourdieusian framework. In the article we discuss how we (two teachers and a social worker) developed an alternative senior secondary school that re-engaged a sizable minority of marginalised young people back into formalised learning and consider how this school became a significant and sustainable educational alternative. Our work during this developmental period drew us into community-based activism enacting socially just curricular and pedagogical experiments. Through networked political action for schooling justice in concert with critical friends (our university partners), the marginalised young people we worked with and supportive regional youth stakeholders, we reconstructed our professional habitus as professionals into a more enabling rendering and strived to proffer through our relational, pedagogical and curricular work with students more of a transformative habitus. Our curricular and activist work inside the community extended the field of schooling relations into a more socially just orientation. This more enabling community field merged with our schooling field and enabled us to source political capital engendering secure, recurrent school funding and a purpose-built schooling facility. We claim that the market logics of schooling significantly influenced our beginning enrolment growth trajectory, and discuss how these logics compromised our ability to break through Bourdieu's notion of the 'destiny effect'. Since its inception in 2003, the Second Chance Community College has offered a comprehensive senior secondary schooling programme for more than 1000 young people. Throughout its 12-year history, the majority of students have gone on to secure work, apprenticeships and tertiary study but only 10% of students have successfully completed their final year of schooling.

Concerned about the phenomena of early school leaving in our region, we are two teachers who initiated and developed a new school from the "ground up" to re-engage young people disenfranchised with schooling back into formalised learning. Using critical action research methodology over a three and a half year developmental period, this endeavour involved us in exercising particular dimensions of leadership to engineer a sustainable second chance school. Twelve years after its development, the school continues with enrolments of over 100 senior secondary students in recent years. The schooling justice work we pursued during the developmental period drew us into "emancipatory" leadership work that called us to be; (1) teacher activists embracing social entrepreneurial strategies imbued with (2) relational sensibilities, and (3) architects of socially just school design informed by (4) critical praxis within a university led professional learning community. The "second chance school" has re-engaged over 1000 students back into formalised learning since its inception and has offered pathways into post-school tertiary study, apprenticeships and training for the majority of these students.

Over the past few decades there has been a substantial swing among higher education practitioners towards a more constructivist approach to learning. Nevertheless, it is still evident that many instructivist models are widely used in both classroom and online learning environments. A key challenge for educators is linking learner needs, pedagogy and technology in order to construct more interactive, engaging and student-centred environments that promote 21st century skills and encourage self-directed learning. Existing research suggests that the use of real-life tasks supported by new technologies, together with access to the vast array of open educational resources on the Internet, have the potential to improve the quality of online learning. This article describes how an authentic online professional development course for higher education practitioners was designed and implemented using a learning management system (LMS) and an open companion website. It then discusses how the initial iteration of the course was evaluated and provides recommendations for improving the second iteration. Finally it describes how the second iteration was modified and implemented.

Participation in sporting or recreational programs can be unattainable for many disadvantaged young people. Encouraging regular cycling is an important public health strategy to increase participation in physical activity and expand personal transport options for marginalised youth. Perceptions and attitudes toward cycling were explored in eight focus groups, involving 47 young people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness in central and south-western Sydney, Australia. The benefits of cycling for physical activity, personal transport, independence and social inclusion were recognised. Barriers to regular cycling included compliance with mandatory helmet legislation; a lack of cycling skills and experience; a paucity of cycling infrastructure and reliance on cars for personal transport; and access to affordable bicycles and equipment. A comprehensive multi-strategic approach that engages marginalised young people is required to improve access and enable increased participation in cycling activities. (Contains 2 tables.)

This paper presents findings from a landmark Australian study investigating the experiences and perspectives of young people in residential care. Data from a representative sample are analyzed to identify young people's satisfaction with various aspects of their residential care experience: their sense of safety, normality, support, comfort in general living environment, participation in decision-making, and improvements in well-being. Findings point to strengths and weaknesses in current service delivery. The vast majority of respondents felt safe and well-treated and satisfied with the care and support provided by staff. Respondents were less commonly satisfied with the care and support provided by caseworkers, their participation in higher order decision-making, their sense of normality, and the amount of contact with their families. Compared with older respondents, younger respondents less commonly expressed satisfaction with various aspects of their care. Similarly, those reporting more placements were less satisfied with their care and support than those reporting fewer placements.

This article presents Australian case studies of educational buildings with environmentally sustainable designs. This includes the new public school complex for Williamstown High School and the Peel Learning Centre designed for Murdoc University. This article also includes sustainability initiatives by private developers working in collaboration with government authorities.

Over 400 e-learning grant applications from Australian primary schools were analysed to determine the nature of the proposed ICT based projects in literacy and numeracy. Three key dimensions emerged from the teacher descriptions: ICT infrastructure, motivation and ICT use, and pedagogy and innovation. The three dimensions, and the interactions between them, provide a means for understanding the complex factors within an individual school that determine the nature of ICT use and the potential for innovation. Several types, or levels, were identified within each dimension, together forming a framework that can be applied as both a research tool and a model for describing in detail the current status of ICT use in a school. (Contains 5 tables and 6 figures.)

The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into school educational practice is seen as being crucial to prepare "young people to participate in and contribute to an information society that requires high levels of literacy, numeracy, technological competence and a spirit of creativity and enterprise". In National Literacy and Numeracy Week 2002, the Commonwealth Bank e-Learning Grants program was launched, and has continued annually since then, providing a total of $350 000 funding each year for literacy and numeracy e-learning projects in Australian primary schools. In the first year, applications were submitted by 1300 Government, Catholic and Independent schools, which represented almost 20% of all primary schools in Australia. Four hundred and sixty-four schools provided consent for the information contained in their applications to be analysed with the purpose of determining the characteristics of e-learning in this context. This article presents a description of the nature of the projects that focused on using ICT to support the teaching and learning of mathematics and numeracy (e-learning). The innovative ideas these schools proposed might encourage or inspire other teachers to attempt similar uses of ICT in their mathematics programs. (Contains 1 figure.)

This paper reports on a study focused upon 83 pre-service primary teachers in their first mathematics pedagogy subject at the University of Western Sydney. They completed three surveys: an achievement test of the mathematics they would be expected to teach; a survey of their beliefs about mathematics, mathematics teaching and mathematics learning; and a survey of their attitudes towards mathematics. The experiences and beliefs of pre-service teachers influence the formation of attitudes and these, in turn, influence their classroom practices and beliefs. These beliefs, attitudes and practices may sometimes be at variance with the main direction of their tertiary teaching methods courses. Thus, it is crucial in assisting pre-service teachers to understand their own beliefs, attitudes and practices, and that these are made explicit and examined. This paper reports the data from the achievement test, belief survey and the attitude survey, and investigates the relationships between these data. The results from this study show some connections, although relatively weak, among the three constructs and lead us to speculate on possible reasons for these. (Contains 6 tables.)

Career education concepts have been integrated into the curriculum at a primary school in Brisbane. Essential elements of relevant syllabus documents were identified and used as the basis of planned career education strategies. The existing curriculum was examined in the light of career competencies. All career-related learning that had already formed part of the education experience of the students was identified and grouped under the three main areas of competencies of the Australian Blueprint for Career Development. A three-year program of annual career days has been implemented, with a strong curriculum basis to enhance the children's understanding as they learn about different careers. By integrating career development competencies into the school curriculum, teachers, parents and students have embraced career education. (Contains 1 figure.)

After a dementia diagnosis, goals of care are often reassessed, including the use of preventive medications like statins. To examine changes in statin use after initiating medication for managing dementia. A case-crossover study utilizing medication dispensing data from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) 10% random sample was conducted. Use of statins was compared in the 12 months pre- and post-initiation (pre-period and post-period) of anti-dementia medications or risperidone for behavioural symptoms of dementia. Individuals aged ≥65 years who had their first dispensing of anti-dementia medication or risperidone between July 2006 and June 2017 and survived ≥12 months after their first supply were included. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for change in statin use in the discordant pairs. The cohort (n = 19,809) had a median age of 81 years and 61% were female. Statins were less likely to be used after initiating anti-dementia medication or risperidone (OR 0.50; 95%CI 0.45–0.55). The OR for statin use in the post-period versus the pre-period decreased annually over the 11 years from 1.21; 95%CI 0.84–1.75 in 2006–7 to 0.31; 95%CI 0.24–0.41 in 2016–17 (p for interaction <0.05). Statins are more likely to be ceased than started after initiating medication for dementia. This may reflect changes in goals of care, or changes in the interpretation of the available evidence for the safety and efficacy of statins in older people living with dementia. • Statins more likely to be ceased than started after starting medication for dementia. • Decrease in statin use is more evident in recent years. • Odds ratios decrease as age increases. • Prevalence of statins is highest in those with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author reflects on keynotes by Debra Myhill and Wayne Sawyer in a search for ways with grammar. One of the keynote speakers, Debra Myhill, shared her research into teaching grammar that she had conducted in the UK. Myhill had asked a sample of teachers to follow a specified unit plan and had conducted pre- and post-testing to see the effect on students' writing. The key to Myhill's successful lesson plans was the way that grammar was taught in context. It was based on the texts students were already studying and explicitly taught not only the metalanguage but also the reasons for using it. The day after the author's encounter with Myhill's research, Wayne Sawyer took up the same topic in his keynote, "Writing in the Nation." Reflecting on Myhill's research, Sawyer expressed concerns that the language content descriptions in the Draft Australian Curriculum are written more as a list of topics to cover rather than the application of the knowledge. This may lead teachers to merely teach the metalanguage which, proven by Myhill's research, is not going to have a positive impact on their students' writing. Sawyer emphasised the importance of looking at the grammar teaching history to inform educators in their future implementation of the national curriculum.

Sometimes simple ideas are more productive than complex and over-prepared lessons; perhaps because of the flexibility afforded both teachers and students. This article provides a description of the basic activity and the potential mathematics associated with it. It also gives examples of how the basic activity could be implemented with students of various stages of development, ranging from about 4 years to 12 years of age.

Since 2010, a national scheme regulates the registration, accreditation and discipline of health professionals in Australia (the 'National Law'). This research examines disciplinary cases from tribunals nationwide to address the question: Has the national regulation of health professionals produced consistency in outcomes in serious cases of professional misconduct? All publicly available Australian tribunal-level decisions concerning complaints of serious misconduct and/or impairment brought against the five most populous regulated health professions (nurses and midwives, doctors, psychologists, pharmacists and dentists) were analysed for the period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2017. Each case was coded by reference to a typology of misconduct, practitioner characteristics and outcome, allowing for comparisons to be drawn both as between the professions and as between jurisdictions. Major disparities were identified in outcomes across the professions, with doctors being subject to less severe outcomes than other professions, in particular in comparison with nurses, even when the same main head of misconduct was in issue. Marked disparities were also identified between outcomes in different states and territories, suggesting that the National Law is not being applied in a uniform manner. This article examines these disparities and explores possible contributing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Compared to randomized controlled trials, nonexperimental studies often report larger survival benefits but higher rates of adverse events for statin use vs nonuse. Objective We compared characteristics of statin users and nonusers living in aged care services and evaluated the relationships between statin use and all-cause mortality, all-cause and fall-related hospitalizations, and number of falls during a 12-month follow-up. Methods A prospective cohort study of 383 residents aged ≥65 years was conducted in six Australian aged care services. Data were obtained from electronic medical records and medication charts and through a series of validated assessments. Results The greatest differences between statin users and nonusers were observed in activities of daily living, frailty, and medication use (absolute standardized difference >0.40), with users being less dependent and less frail but using a higher number of medications. Statin use was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37–0.93) and hospitalizations (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46–0.98). After exclusion of residents unable to sit or stand, statin use was associated with a nonsignificant increase in the risk of fall-related hospitalizations (HR 1.47, 95% CI 0.80–2.68) but with a lower incidence of falls (incidence rate ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.47–0.96). Conclusions The observed associations between statin use and the outcomes may be largely explained by selective prescribing and deprescribing of statins and variation in likelihood of hospitalization based on consideration of each resident's clinical and frailty status. Randomized deprescribing trials are needed to guide statin prescribing in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the question: how might Australian regulators constructively respond to the dynamic and complex challenges posed by cross-border assisted reproduction? To begin, the article summarises the available international scholarship and outlines what little we know about Australian cross-border reproductive travel. Of the three generally proposed responses to cross-border reproductive care (prohibition, harm minimisation and harmonisation), the article summarily rejects the first approach, and instead discusses a mixture of the latter two. The article proposes the beginnings of an immediate policy response aimed not at stopping cross-border practices per se, but rather at understanding and reducing the risks associated with them, as well as flagging the pursuit of more ambitious meta-goals such as developing more equitable and accessible treatment frameworks for assisted reproductive technology and encouraging domestic self-sufficiency in reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian approach to legal parentage is particularly complex in the context of trans-national surrogacy arrangements. Australian law does not generally recognise parental status granted in other jurisdictions and overseas commercial surrogacy arrangements are excluded from specifically enacted domestic surrogacy laws that enable transfer of legal parentage in certain circumstances. Thus Australian administrators and judges have had to grapple with the claims of Australians trying to return with a foreign born child with whom they usually have a genetic link and a primary caregiving role, but no legally recognised relationship. This recognition has occurred through ad hoc liberailsation of interpretations of 'parent' and 'child' in particular pieces of legislation, which has left parents in a state of ambiguous, labyrinthine and 'limping' legal parentage. This article presents an analysis of the problems posed by the current lacunae before going on to explore the risks and potentiality of possible reforms to federal law. The analysis in this article is informed throughout by my own view of surrogacy as a valid method of family formation which should be respected. The State has a legitimate objective in trying to ensure that surrogacy is undertaken with the informed and continuing consent of all the parties, and most particularly the surrogate, given the unique impact and significance of the gestational relationship. This must be balanced with the need to accord certainty of parental status to children being raised in surrogacy families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical laboratories need to test patient samples precisely, accurately, and efficiently. The latest member of the Roche cobas modular platform family, the cobas 8000 modular analyzer series allows compact and convenient consolidation of clinical chemistry and immunochemistry assays in high-workload laboratories with a throughput of 3 to 15 million tests annually. Here we present the results of studies designed to test the overall system performance under routine-like conditions that were conducted at 14 laboratories over 2 y. Experiments that test analytical performance of the new module were integrated with overall system functionality testing of all modules in different configurations. More than two million results were generated and evaluated for ~100 applications using serum/plasma, urine, or EDTA blood samples. During the workflow studies, eight configurations of the possible 38 combinations were used, covering all available analytical modules. The versatility of the module combinations makes the system customizable to fit the needs of diverse laboratories, allowing precise and accurate analysis of a broad spectrum of clinical chemistry and immunochemistry parameters with short turnaround times. This new system will contribute to the ability of clinical laboratories to offer better service to their customers and support vital clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the impact of embryo storage laws on those engaging in in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Australia in 2013. Topics include the ethical guidelines offered by reproductive clinics, the clinical policies in place regarding embryo storage, and informed consent regarding the destruction of embryos.

The article focuses on the law regarding embryo donation for reproductive use in Australia in 2013. Topics include the clinical policies and ethical guidelines regarding embryo donation, the willingness of women to donate embryos to others for reproductive use, and the controversy surrounding directed donations. Information is provided on the external barriers to donation.

The article focuses on the use of stored or frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) after the death of a partner or separation. Topics include the consent needed for embryo storage, the use of dispute resolution to resolve differences in embryo storage and destruction, and the ethical guidelines set forth by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The article focuses on how Australian law impacts assisted reproductive treatments in 2013. Topics include informed choice in reproductive decision making, the government regulation of assisted reproductive technology, and the freezing and storage of embryos to be used in the future. Information is provided on state intervention into family decision making.

This article explores recent Australian reforms concerning family relationships which include same-sex couples within the category of 'de facto relationship' in all federal laws (previously limited to unmarried heterosexual couples), extend the definition of 'parent' and 'child' in much federal law to include lesbian parents who have a child through assisted reproductive means and, in more limited circumstances, recognise parents who have children born though surrogacy arrangements as legal parents in family law. The reforms also bring most de facto couples, both heterosexual and same-sex, within the federal family law property division regime. The article first examines the background and scope of the reforms relating to de facto partners and then explores those concerning parental status. Major provisions of the new laws are outlined and a selection of cases critiqued to assess whether the aims of the reforms are being, or are likely to be, met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resource management (NRM) organisations in Australia are increasingly recognising the need for complement studies of biophysical condition of the environment with studies of social condition, such as values, understanding, and participation related to the environment. Relevant and reliable social indicators that can be scaled and measured on a regular basis are essential to meet this need. In this study, we identified four indicators to test the social condition of the public in the State of Victoria in Australia with regard to river health. These indicators were river use, river knowledge and literacy, values and aspirations, and river health behaviours. We tested the four indicators through telephone and web-based surveys with over 1000 people in three areas of Victoria. We analysed the survey data statistically and gathered baseline data on the social condition of river health in the three regions. We made recommendations for how this data could be interpreted and used in community engagement and science communication programmes about river health. We also examined the limitations of the methodology and recommended modifications to the survey design and application for an anticipated roll-out of the survey across the entire State of Victoria. The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) will use this survey instrument to test social indicators on a regular basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation, as a social and political movement, continues to gain momentum, and the legal and sociological frameworks supporting the rights of children and young people to participate in various aspects of social life are now well established. Yet, there are gaps and silences behind the rhetoric of participation that beg closer scrutiny. Such analysis is important in ensuring "participation" is not un-problematically adopted by policy makers and practitioners without regard to the complex and competing agendas at work in its implementation or any clear evidence of the significance or outcomes for the young people involved. This paper explores some of the complexities and ambiguities of participation through the lens of experience in working with a group of young people, 12 to 22 years old, who are actively involved with the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring compliance and enforcing laws are integral to ensuring the success of marine protected areas (MPAs), but traditional monitoring techniques are costly and resource demanding. Three SoundTrap 300 recorders were deployed for one month between 1 July and September 12, 2018 to collect acoustic data in two marine parks off southeastern Australia: one recorder in Cod Grounds Marine Park (CGMP) and two in the Solitary Islands Marine Park National Park Zone (SIMP NPZ). Extractive activities such as fishing are not permitted in these zones. Raven Pro 2.0 was used to analyze data for vessel presence. Transmission loss equations for each site were generated using patrol boat GPS tracks and used to predict if acoustically recorded vessels were inside park boundaries based on received sound levels. In CGMP, 41 vessels were predicted within the park during the recording period; 34 vessels were predicted within the SIMP NPZ. Thursdays and Saturdays were identified as peak days for vessel presence in CGMP while Thursdays were the peak day in the SIMP NPZ. Most vessel activity at both locations took place between 06:00 and 17:00 AEST. Peak vessel presence in CGMP occurred at 09:00 AEST while the peak vessel presence in the SIMP NPZ occurred at 16:00 AEST. Approximately 12.7 h of vessel sounds were recorded within CGMP; approximately 3.8 h of vessel noise were recorded within the SIMP NPZ. Passive acoustic monitoring of vessel patterns in Australian Marine Parks has provided valuable insight to redirect compliance decisions on how to focus surveillance efforts. • Monitoring compliance is integral to ensuring the success of marine protected areas. • Passive acoustic monitoring is a tool that can be used to improve domain awareness. • Passive acoustic monitoring provides insight to redirect compliance decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Statins comprise a key strategy for the prevention and treatment of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but prescribing remains suboptimal. Objectives The objective of this study was to characterize the predictors of statin use among adults aged ≥65 years. Methods A cross-sectional study using Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data on reimbursed prescriptions for a 10% random sample of the Australian population in 2016 was performed. Predictors of statin use were identified via multivariable logistic regression. Analyses were performed separately for people who were concessional beneficiaries (with a low, capped copayment) and other ("general") people. Results Among 351,471 (concessional = 295,875 and general = 55,596) older adults, 44.2% were dispensed statins (concessional = 46.4% and general = 32.2%). Among the concessional beneficiaries, people aged 75 to 84 years were more likely to use statins (odds ratio [OR] 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.10), whereas those aged ≥85 years were less likely to use statins (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.69–0.72), compared with people aged 65 to 74 years. Men were more likely to use statins than women (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.12–1.16). Diabetes was associated with over 2-fold (OR 2.48, 95% CI 2.43–2.53) increased likelihood of statin use. People with cardiovascular-related conditions including hypertension, angina, and congestive heart failure experienced increased likelihood of statin use as was being dispensed anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication. Having malignancy, psychotic illness, or pain were associated with lower likelihood of statin use. Similar predictors of statin use were noted for the general population. Conclusion More than 40% of older adults in Australia used statins in 2016 with uptake dependent on individual-level factors such as demographics and comorbidities. Future research should examine the extent to which provider and/or health system–level factors contribute to the variable uptake of statin therapy. Highlights • Statins are a mainstay therapy for the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. • In this study, we characterized the predictors of statin use among adults aged ≥65 years. • More than 2 in 5 of older adults were dispensed statins in a calendar year. • Individual-level factors such as age, sex, and comorbidities predicted statin use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]