Regional Dimensions: New Models for Analysis of the Spatial Effects of Policy, Socio-Demographic and Economic Changes. This project aims to substantially improve the decision-support tools available to State and Territory governments by providing them with, first, far more detailed small area data than has previously been available, via the creation of a synthetic small area household database and, second, with the capacity to assess the current and future impact of possible policy reforms and l ....Regional Dimensions: New Models for Analysis of the Spatial Effects of Policy, Socio-Demographic and Economic Changes. This project aims to substantially improve the decision-support tools available to State and Territory governments by providing them with, first, far more detailed small area data than has previously been available, via the creation of a synthetic small area household database and, second, with the capacity to assess the current and future impact of possible policy reforms and likely social, demographic and economic changes at the small area level, through the construction of microsimulation models on top of the synthetic household data.Read moreRead less
The impacts of industry restructuring. This project aims to shed light on how Australia's workforce and communities will engage with the world of work in a future shaped by new business models and disruptive technologies. Using the closure of the automotive industry as a lens into this topic, the project will provide new insights into how displaced workers find work, use services, relate to others, and reshape their futures. It sheds light on the community-wide impacts of restructuring, providin ....The impacts of industry restructuring. This project aims to shed light on how Australia's workforce and communities will engage with the world of work in a future shaped by new business models and disruptive technologies. Using the closure of the automotive industry as a lens into this topic, the project will provide new insights into how displaced workers find work, use services, relate to others, and reshape their futures. It sheds light on the community-wide impacts of restructuring, providing new perspectives on how local resources and public policies best advance the process of adjustment.Read moreRead less
Gambling-related harm in Northern Australia: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatiotemporal analysis of venue catchments. There is growing national concern about the impact of electronic gaming (poker) machines yet little is known about the effects of this gambling in rural and remote areas of Australia. We will develop a database to define the geographic distribution of gambling impacts, the nature of high-risk venues, and the characteristics, both spatial and social, of vulnerable ....Gambling-related harm in Northern Australia: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatiotemporal analysis of venue catchments. There is growing national concern about the impact of electronic gaming (poker) machines yet little is known about the effects of this gambling in rural and remote areas of Australia. We will develop a database to define the geographic distribution of gambling impacts, the nature of high-risk venues, and the characteristics, both spatial and social, of vulnerable communities. This will enable the design of much needed harm minimisation strategies and will provide regulatory bodies with insights into the capacity of local communities to absorb the impact of electronic gaming machine venues.Read moreRead less
Adding value to natural advantage through business clustering:Winners and losers along the Murray River. In terms of river-based business activity, the success of cities located on the Murray River, such as Albury/Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura varies. We shall identify how some towns along the river have added value to the natural advantage of the river through business clustering while others have not. Processes by which successful communities have gained and retain advantage will be ....Adding value to natural advantage through business clustering:Winners and losers along the Murray River. In terms of river-based business activity, the success of cities located on the Murray River, such as Albury/Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura varies. We shall identify how some towns along the river have added value to the natural advantage of the river through business clustering while others have not. Processes by which successful communities have gained and retain advantage will be compared with strategies applied by less successful towns. The concept of business clustering not only permits regional diversity to be more readily understood, but points to future initiatives for less successful regions.Read moreRead less
How migration reshapes labour markets: a study of professional service firms. Australia needs skilled migration to maintain its economic growth and replenish its skill base as the population ages. It needs the skills of migrant accountants. This project will identify the barriers migrants face when seeking work in the financial services industry and discover how migration is changing the financial services labour market.
Housing Assistance and the Life Course: Understanding the Impact of Policy Alternatives. Australian governments are confronted by increasing pressure to assist low-income and vulnerable households gain access to affordable and appropriate housing. Over 100,000 Australians are homeless and 1.3 million households experience housing stress. This project will answer the question, what form of housing assistance generates the best outcomes for both vulnerable individuals and society as a whole? It d ....Housing Assistance and the Life Course: Understanding the Impact of Policy Alternatives. Australian governments are confronted by increasing pressure to assist low-income and vulnerable households gain access to affordable and appropriate housing. Over 100,000 Australians are homeless and 1.3 million households experience housing stress. This project will answer the question, what form of housing assistance generates the best outcomes for both vulnerable individuals and society as a whole? It does so through interviews with low income home purchasers, private tenants and public tenants. The research will strengthen Australia's social fabric by helping governments make better decisions around housing assistance to vulnerable groups. Read moreRead less
Australian Seasonal Workers Programme and well-being impacts in Timor-Leste. This research aims to investigate the impacts of Australia’s Seasonal Workers Programme and South Korea’s Employment Permit System on the well-being of migrant workers and their families in Timor-Leste (East Timor). The contribution of this research to scholarship would be the creation of a sound method to measure the impact of temporary labour migration on well-being across various aspects of life that can be used by r ....Australian Seasonal Workers Programme and well-being impacts in Timor-Leste. This research aims to investigate the impacts of Australia’s Seasonal Workers Programme and South Korea’s Employment Permit System on the well-being of migrant workers and their families in Timor-Leste (East Timor). The contribution of this research to scholarship would be the creation of a sound method to measure the impact of temporary labour migration on well-being across various aspects of life that can be used by researchers in Timor-Leste and elsewhere to evaluate the development impacts of such migration schemes. The data will inform evidence-based policies to improve temporary labour migration schemes, meet urgent development priorities in Timor-Leste, and maximise the benefits of Australian aid funded labour migration schemes.Read moreRead less
The impacts of land ownership change on rural social and economic change. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework for explaining how and why rural land is changing hands, what this means for the ways we understand socio-economic change in rural Australia, and how it can inform best-practice rural and regional decision making by public, private and community sector interests. The project will generate a unique, research-ready database that will detail every land transaction in rura ....The impacts of land ownership change on rural social and economic change. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework for explaining how and why rural land is changing hands, what this means for the ways we understand socio-economic change in rural Australia, and how it can inform best-practice rural and regional decision making by public, private and community sector interests. The project will generate a unique, research-ready database that will detail every land transaction in rural NSW over a period of ten years, and analyse these data in light of complementary datasets and a series of in-depth interviews with land-owners and key stakeholders. The project expects to transform national understanding of rural land-ownership change, and promote best practice decision making.Read moreRead less
Identifying and testing the decision-making factors related to 'smart industries' choice of location. Australia is moving towards becoming the smart country. As a result industry restructuring, realignment and relocation become central concerns. This research is directed towards industry relocation with a focus on the newly emerging 'smart industries' with a test case examination of the Brisbane City Council economic region. The research will investigate, identify and test the quantitative an ....Identifying and testing the decision-making factors related to 'smart industries' choice of location. Australia is moving towards becoming the smart country. As a result industry restructuring, realignment and relocation become central concerns. This research is directed towards industry relocation with a focus on the newly emerging 'smart industries' with a test case examination of the Brisbane City Council economic region. The research will investigate, identify and test the quantitative and qualitative criteria used by 'smart industry' companies in their location decision making. Outcomes will include a Masters of Philosophy thesis, a tested and validated test instrument for industry practitioners, three seminars, a conference paper and a number of international journal articles.Read moreRead less
Supporting pacific development. The research looks at the extent to which twenty-two of the world's richest countries support development in the Pacific Islands region through their efforts with respect to aid, trade, migration, private investment, security, technology and environmental sustainability. It will develop an index that will rank these countries on the basis of these efforts.