Exploring the myth of the single solution: an anthropological study of housing maintenance and infrastructure issues in Australia. Indigenous housing is a core challenge for improving Australia's social and economic fabric. Urgent issues of amenity, maintenance and responsibility remain unresolved. By documenting what is involved in taking a difficult yet successful intervention model for targeting small-scale repairs and maintenance to scale in Australia, the research will shed critical light o ....Exploring the myth of the single solution: an anthropological study of housing maintenance and infrastructure issues in Australia. Indigenous housing is a core challenge for improving Australia's social and economic fabric. Urgent issues of amenity, maintenance and responsibility remain unresolved. By documenting what is involved in taking a difficult yet successful intervention model for targeting small-scale repairs and maintenance to scale in Australia, the research will shed critical light on: the complexities of program replication and effect; the social and political context such programs operate within; the characteristics required for sustained reform. It will also add an Australian contribution to a growing international field: namely, the anthropology of policy, aid and development. Read moreRead less
Bubbles on the surface: a place pedagogy of the Narran Lakes. The project will provide Aboriginal, ecological humanities, and pedagogical input into the problem of environmental sustainability in the Murray-Darling Basin, complementing current physical science initiatives. It will have immediate national benefit in the production of educational resources based on alternative and previously invisible stories of water in the Narran Lakes area, an icon site in the Murray-Darling Basin. The finding ....Bubbles on the surface: a place pedagogy of the Narran Lakes. The project will provide Aboriginal, ecological humanities, and pedagogical input into the problem of environmental sustainability in the Murray-Darling Basin, complementing current physical science initiatives. It will have immediate national benefit in the production of educational resources based on alternative and previously invisible stories of water in the Narran Lakes area, an icon site in the Murray-Darling Basin. The findings will have longer term national benefit by identifying the elements of a general pedagogy of place, drawn from the specific local case study of the Narran Lakes, which will be applied in adult and community education.Read moreRead less
Adaptive capabilities in the elderly during extreme heat events in South Australia. This study, using first hand accounts of experiences and perceptions of the extreme heat event of 2009 in South Australia, will provide a valuable insight into the heat adaptive capability of the ageing population, factors affecting susceptibility, and ways to curb the predicted increase in often life-threatening heat exacerbated illnesses, many of which require extended hospital stays. It is envisaged that findi ....Adaptive capabilities in the elderly during extreme heat events in South Australia. This study, using first hand accounts of experiences and perceptions of the extreme heat event of 2009 in South Australia, will provide a valuable insight into the heat adaptive capability of the ageing population, factors affecting susceptibility, and ways to curb the predicted increase in often life-threatening heat exacerbated illnesses, many of which require extended hospital stays. It is envisaged that findings will help inform health policy and contribute to the formulation of a National Heatwave Response plan. Study findings will be disseminated widely at government (state and federal), non-government, and community levels and will help to raise the awareness of heat exacerbated illness in general.Read moreRead less
Air pollution: do modern statistical model selection techniques make the silent killer speak too loud? Air pollution is estimated to cause 2400 deaths annually in Australia with an associated cost to the community of $17.2 billion. The outcomes of this project will enable an improved understanding of the association between air pollution and mortality in Australia, thereby allowing government, public health authorities, and regulatory agencies to implement better air pollution standards and pro ....Air pollution: do modern statistical model selection techniques make the silent killer speak too loud? Air pollution is estimated to cause 2400 deaths annually in Australia with an associated cost to the community of $17.2 billion. The outcomes of this project will enable an improved understanding of the association between air pollution and mortality in Australia, thereby allowing government, public health authorities, and regulatory agencies to implement better air pollution standards and provide more informed advice to the public on the necessity of avoiding exposure to air pollutants. These two outcomes are particularly important given Australia's ageing population and the fact that the elderly are among those most susceptible to harm from air pollution exposure.Read moreRead less
Spatial analysis of a linked environmental, health and social data base. Extensive environmental, health and socio-demographic data are routinely collected by various agencies throughout Australia. To date, it has been difficult to link separate databases and investigate possible associations between the different parameters within them. In this proposal we plan to link routinely collected health, environment and socio-demographic data from a number of databases. We then plan to develop tools fo ....Spatial analysis of a linked environmental, health and social data base. Extensive environmental, health and socio-demographic data are routinely collected by various agencies throughout Australia. To date, it has been difficult to link separate databases and investigate possible associations between the different parameters within them. In this proposal we plan to link routinely collected health, environment and socio-demographic data from a number of databases. We then plan to develop tools for geo-referencing the data. Finally we plan to perform spatial analysis of the linked data, specifically investigating associations between environmental and social factors and childhood leukaemia, deliberate self harm and adverse birth outcomes. Linking separate databases and performing spatial analysis of georeferenced data will substantially improve the quality of public health surveillance and research in NSW. In addition, it will enable more detailed analysis of the effects of environmental exposures on health, using routine data.Read moreRead less
Heatwaves, population health, and emergency management in Australia-a qualitative study. This is the first qualitative study on emergency management mechanism to heatwaves in Australia. It will also explore relevant emergency and health specific adaptation strategies for heatwaves in different population settings. The results will help relevant government agencies for policy-making, such as public service and resource allocation, infrastructure establishment, disaster prevention and response inc ....Heatwaves, population health, and emergency management in Australia-a qualitative study. This is the first qualitative study on emergency management mechanism to heatwaves in Australia. It will also explore relevant emergency and health specific adaptation strategies for heatwaves in different population settings. The results will help relevant government agencies for policy-making, such as public service and resource allocation, infrastructure establishment, disaster prevention and response including establishing the national heatwaves response system. They will also help relevant industry for their adaptation to heatwaves, ie aged care and energy industries. The results will also benefit local communities, especially those from disadvantaged groups such as indigenous Australians and aged population.Read moreRead less
Food systems, urban health equity and climate stabilisation: the need for a common agenda. This research will help address two great contemporary human struggles - achieving health equity and climate stabilisation. Action concerned with economic and social policy, food systems and urban living will improve Australian and global health, and help reduce social inequity such that communities are better able both to cope with the impacts of climate change and to avert further damage to the global en ....Food systems, urban health equity and climate stabilisation: the need for a common agenda. This research will help address two great contemporary human struggles - achieving health equity and climate stabilisation. Action concerned with economic and social policy, food systems and urban living will improve Australian and global health, and help reduce social inequity such that communities are better able both to cope with the impacts of climate change and to avert further damage to the global environment. Providing an evidence base that demonstrates, for the first time, what can be done in an integrated manner, will help mobilise political and popular support for a radical break with the compartmentalised and short term approach that dominates the political agenda at state, national and global levels.Read moreRead less
Environmental quality and health in the elderly; The Australian situation and international comparison. The elderly are a vulnerable population group that should receive particular attention in health policy. They are a group of considerable and growing size that contributes disproportionately to total health burden. Although residential environment is likely to influence health and well-being among the elderly, the evidence-base for appropriate policy and practice is lacking. Improved understa ....Environmental quality and health in the elderly; The Australian situation and international comparison. The elderly are a vulnerable population group that should receive particular attention in health policy. They are a group of considerable and growing size that contributes disproportionately to total health burden. Although residential environment is likely to influence health and well-being among the elderly, the evidence-base for appropriate policy and practice is lacking. Improved understanding of the role of relevant environmental factors could lead to substantially reduced morbidity and mortality (and associated costs) for the key outcomes: falls, and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Results will contribute to the international evidence-base in this increasingly critical area of research, policy, and practice. Read moreRead less
Extreme weather and population health in Australia: risk assessment, prediction of health impacts and disease burden, and adaptive strategy exploration. This is the first systematic assessment of the effect of heatwaves on daily mortality/hospitalisations/emergency department visits/ambulance callouts, and the burden of disease due to climate change in major Australian cities. It will explore relevant health specific adaptation strategies. The results will help relevant government agencies with ....Extreme weather and population health in Australia: risk assessment, prediction of health impacts and disease burden, and adaptive strategy exploration. This is the first systematic assessment of the effect of heatwaves on daily mortality/hospitalisations/emergency department visits/ambulance callouts, and the burden of disease due to climate change in major Australian cities. It will explore relevant health specific adaptation strategies. The results will help relevant government agencies with policy-making, such as public service and resource allocation, infrastructure establishment, disaster prevention and response, including establishing the national heatwaves response system. They will help relevant industry for their adaptation to climate change, i.e. aged care industries. The results will also benefit local communities with their attention and behaviour changes for climate change.Read moreRead less
Assessing maternal exposure to persistent toxic substances and risk of adverse birth outcomes. There are numerous sources of persistent toxic substances (PTS) and due to their long half life in the environment they can increase in concentration over time, increasing the risks of human exposure. Australia is a signatory to the Stockholm Convention and this project both assists in the meeting Australia's obligations but also addresses the important subject of the relationship between environment, ....Assessing maternal exposure to persistent toxic substances and risk of adverse birth outcomes. There are numerous sources of persistent toxic substances (PTS) and due to their long half life in the environment they can increase in concentration over time, increasing the risks of human exposure. Australia is a signatory to the Stockholm Convention and this project both assists in the meeting Australia's obligations but also addresses the important subject of the relationship between environment, health and risk. The study will be the first of its type to systematically measure maternal exposure and link the risk of adverse birth outcomes. It will significantly improve our ability to assess the impact of chemicals on health. It will also provide benchmark information for a use in national standard setting and policy development. Read moreRead less