Facilitating active ageing in residential aged care: strategies, opportunities and future directions. Australia is undergoing a critical demographic transition: the population is ageing. By 2031, the number of older Australians requiring residential aged care will increase 63 per cent, to 1.4 million. This in-depth semi-longitudinal project will explore daily life in aged care through photography, enhancing the experience for current and future residents.
Networks, neighbourhoods and newborns: defining household and local area influences on social connectedness, to understand pathways to health. Being socially connected is good for your health, but why? This project will compare social connections in Boroondara and Hume, to explore the influence of neighbourhoods on networks. With this information the project will consider potential pathways to better health outcomes, needed by agencies working to promote neighbourhood connectedness and health.
People, Pumps and Pipes: A social study of change in the collaborative supply of irrigation services. The research addresses key National Priorities and Priority Goals relating to improved sustainable water management in Australia's foremost river system. The research offers deeper understanding of the social dimensions of National Water Initiative reforms, and specifically motivations for irrigators' decisions contributing to more sustainable water use following legislative reforms. The project ....People, Pumps and Pipes: A social study of change in the collaborative supply of irrigation services. The research addresses key National Priorities and Priority Goals relating to improved sustainable water management in Australia's foremost river system. The research offers deeper understanding of the social dimensions of National Water Initiative reforms, and specifically motivations for irrigators' decisions contributing to more sustainable water use following legislative reforms. The project links understanding of the nexus between policy and environmental behaviour to advance knowledge of more sustainable water use. Given the current demands on water in the Murray-Darling system and the systems national significance, the research will make a vital contribution to management of this critical national resource.Read moreRead less
Being On Country Off Country. This project aims to understand contemporary Australian Aboriginal connections to 'Country'. The concept of Country is integral to Australian Aboriginal meaning and culture, and Country and the individual are anthropologically inseparable and co-dependent. Being ‘on Country’ implies residency within a tract of landscape involving cultural origins and responsibilities, whereas being ‘off Country’ implies residency external to this home land. How, and to what degree, ....Being On Country Off Country. This project aims to understand contemporary Australian Aboriginal connections to 'Country'. The concept of Country is integral to Australian Aboriginal meaning and culture, and Country and the individual are anthropologically inseparable and co-dependent. Being ‘on Country’ implies residency within a tract of landscape involving cultural origins and responsibilities, whereas being ‘off Country’ implies residency external to this home land. How, and to what degree, these on and off protocols operate has not previously been researched. The project aims to explore regional and urban residency relationships in relation to Aboriginal Corporation membership eligibility and to Country self-nurture and custodianship relationships. It is highly relevant to Indigenous communities worldwide as their people move from their 'Country' to satisfy higher education and employment aspirations. The issues are central to improving Indigenous community engagement in planning.Read moreRead less
The Kids in Communities Study: national investigation of community level effects on children's developmental outcomes. This project (a cross-disciplinary collaboration) will investigate community level factors influencing early childhood developmental outcomes using a mixed methods approach in up to 10 communities across Australia. This will result in a potential set of measures or indicators that reflect communities that are good for children.
Activating social connection to address isolation in Australia. Surveys of wellbeing repeatedly emphasise social isolation, but there is a gap in positive approaches that can be used to grow connection. This research aims to design an approach to activate social connection for people and communities. Using a pre-tested evidence-based framework, experiences of vulnerable cohorts, and affordances of ways to connect on and offline, this project takes a strengths focus to develop a joined-up place-b ....Activating social connection to address isolation in Australia. Surveys of wellbeing repeatedly emphasise social isolation, but there is a gap in positive approaches that can be used to grow connection. This research aims to design an approach to activate social connection for people and communities. Using a pre-tested evidence-based framework, experiences of vulnerable cohorts, and affordances of ways to connect on and offline, this project takes a strengths focus to develop a joined-up place-based strategy. Expected outcomes include world-first practical tools and guidance for local social connection activation and new knowledge about how interwoven on/offline services assist social connection. Increasing social connection is expected to improve individuals’ mental wellbeing and community resilience.Read moreRead less
Measuring the benefits of reuse in the circular economy. The project will advance understanding of reuse commodity chains, their societal benefits and contributions to a more sustainable circular economy. Drawing on case study research with charitable and community reuse organisations, factors facilitating or inhibiting reuse will be identified, and rigorous methods developed for assessing the benefits of reuse organisations in terms of quantities of materials processed, employment, skills devel ....Measuring the benefits of reuse in the circular economy. The project will advance understanding of reuse commodity chains, their societal benefits and contributions to a more sustainable circular economy. Drawing on case study research with charitable and community reuse organisations, factors facilitating or inhibiting reuse will be identified, and rigorous methods developed for assessing the benefits of reuse organisations in terms of quantities of materials processed, employment, skills development and contributions to regional economic development. Research outputs will provide a sound evidence base for government policy and decision-making and strengthen conceptual understanding of drivers and enablers of reuse and links with broader economic activities. Read moreRead less
Intensifying places: transit-oriented urban design for resilient Australian cities. The population of Australian cities is rising sharply at precisely the time we also need to achieve dramatic reductions in carbon emissions. While there is debate about the degree to which we can extend urban growth boundaries, there is no doubt that intensification in activity centres and along transit lines will be realised in the near and medium future. This is both a threat to established suburban ways of lif ....Intensifying places: transit-oriented urban design for resilient Australian cities. The population of Australian cities is rising sharply at precisely the time we also need to achieve dramatic reductions in carbon emissions. While there is debate about the degree to which we can extend urban growth boundaries, there is no doubt that intensification in activity centres and along transit lines will be realised in the near and medium future. This is both a threat to established suburban ways of life and a wonderful opportunity to enhance them. What kinds of new urban places will be created and how can design quality be managed to ensure the beauty, amenity, pedestrian accessibility, sociability and public transport efficiency of our cities?Read moreRead less
Managing urban trees. Managing urban trees. This project aims to explore the effects of different urban tree types and plantings on people and wildlife in Melbourne, Moreland and Ballarat so they can better plan their future urban forests. Local governments spend millions of dollars planting and maintaining urban trees every year. Research provides little guidance to these land managers when making critical decisions in a rapidly changing social and physical environment. This project will combin ....Managing urban trees. Managing urban trees. This project aims to explore the effects of different urban tree types and plantings on people and wildlife in Melbourne, Moreland and Ballarat so they can better plan their future urban forests. Local governments spend millions of dollars planting and maintaining urban trees every year. Research provides little guidance to these land managers when making critical decisions in a rapidly changing social and physical environment. This project will combine tree inventory data with new information on the social and ecological effects of trees (e.g. human well-being, bird diversity). This research is expected to guide future tree management decisions that have better social and environmental outcomes for Australia’s cities.Read moreRead less
Building an integrated system for Australian bushfire prevention. Building an integrated system for Australian bushfire prevention. This project aims to develop a comprehensive approach to prevent arson. Bushfires are a serious issue in Australia, made worse by climate change; since most of these fires are started by people, it is important to prevent arson. Building on previous work, this project intends to improve community responses, and build a model to predict risk and improve data sharing. ....Building an integrated system for Australian bushfire prevention. Building an integrated system for Australian bushfire prevention. This project aims to develop a comprehensive approach to prevent arson. Bushfires are a serious issue in Australia, made worse by climate change; since most of these fires are started by people, it is important to prevent arson. Building on previous work, this project intends to improve community responses, and build a model to predict risk and improve data sharing. The intended outcome is an all-risks approach to arson prevention and community engagement. This research should reduce the incidence of arson in Australia, and also be useful overseas.Read moreRead less