Local reoptimization for turbocharging heuristics. Theoretical computer science has up until now had little impact on the design of effective heuristics. While data sets may be large, significant structure is almost always present and important to take into account when designing algorithms. Parameterised complexity considers the underlying structure by parameterising not only on the size of the input but also on structural parameters. This project aims to take advantage of the many opportunitie ....Local reoptimization for turbocharging heuristics. Theoretical computer science has up until now had little impact on the design of effective heuristics. While data sets may be large, significant structure is almost always present and important to take into account when designing algorithms. Parameterised complexity considers the underlying structure by parameterising not only on the size of the input but also on structural parameters. This project aims to take advantage of the many opportunities for new theories in the design of new heuristics and in turbocharging existing heuristics for computationally hard problems.Read moreRead less
The demographic consequences of migration to, from and within Australia. The long-term demographic consequences of migration to, from and within Australia, and the dynamic pathways that produced them, will be studied. This will involve the identification of the specific contributions made by international and internal migration to the age and sex population compositions of nine birthplace-specific populations from 1981 to 2011. To do this, publically available data will be collected and augmente ....The demographic consequences of migration to, from and within Australia. The long-term demographic consequences of migration to, from and within Australia, and the dynamic pathways that produced them, will be studied. This will involve the identification of the specific contributions made by international and internal migration to the age and sex population compositions of nine birthplace-specific populations from 1981 to 2011. To do this, publically available data will be collected and augmented with statistical methods to provide a complete, consistent account of population change for around 60 subnational areas. As migration and population change underpins many aspects of societal change in Australia, this research aims to provide an invaluable resource to other scientists and policy makers.Read moreRead less
Cross-cultural institution-building and development interventions: linking applied and critical approaches. This project will examine cross-cultural institutions created in the context of development, planning and management interventions. The proposed collaboration will support two APAI scholars to research the social and cultural processes whereby such institutions engage local communities in resource mapping, planning and decision-making. One scholar will work in East Timor, the other in the ....Cross-cultural institution-building and development interventions: linking applied and critical approaches. This project will examine cross-cultural institutions created in the context of development, planning and management interventions. The proposed collaboration will support two APAI scholars to research the social and cultural processes whereby such institutions engage local communities in resource mapping, planning and decision-making. One scholar will work in East Timor, the other in the Northern Territory. A key objective is to combine applied and critical approaches in expanding our understanding of the interactions that takes place between external agencies and local communities. The research will contribute to the improved design and implementation of initiatives for managing local resources.Read moreRead less
Estimating the potential supply of environmental services by landholders. Wilderness, natural habitats, biodiversity and other aspects of natural capital and their associated ecosystem services are in decline. Increasing scarcity is driving a surge in interest in these services and their value. It potentially provides opportunities for landholders to be generating income from environmental services provision, and lessens dependency on livestock, crop and fibre production. But how realistic are t ....Estimating the potential supply of environmental services by landholders. Wilderness, natural habitats, biodiversity and other aspects of natural capital and their associated ecosystem services are in decline. Increasing scarcity is driving a surge in interest in these services and their value. It potentially provides opportunities for landholders to be generating income from environmental services provision, and lessens dependency on livestock, crop and fibre production. But how realistic are these prospects? A critical aspect of potential markets for environmental services is their supply. This project examines the supply side of environmental services by exploring determinants of ability and willingness of landholders to provide these services.Read moreRead less
Modelling Payments for Environmental Services on Indigenous held lands. Payments for environmental services (PES) such as fire management have potential to provide employment to indigenous people managing land that has previously been thought to hold no commercial value. In so doing it could transform the economies of the very remote parts of Australia where indigenous people live. For these schemes to work, however, greater understanding is required not only of the willingness of society to pay ....Modelling Payments for Environmental Services on Indigenous held lands. Payments for environmental services (PES) such as fire management have potential to provide employment to indigenous people managing land that has previously been thought to hold no commercial value. In so doing it could transform the economies of the very remote parts of Australia where indigenous people live. For these schemes to work, however, greater understanding is required not only of the willingness of society to pay for environmental services in northern Australia but also of the perceptions of the indigenous people who are providing these services. Choice modelling can (1) quantify values of different environmental services in different sectors of society and (2) help allocate the payments for environmental services efficiently.Read moreRead less
Cycle Aware: Driving with Bikes. This project focuses on the education and training required by drivers to interact safely with cyclists. It uses two ontologically diverse methodologies to examine how Australian drivers become cyclist aware and the education and training necessary to foster safe driver–cyclist interactions. The project aims to provide a critical knowledge base for state and territory driver education policies and a cycle-aware module for learner drivers. These outcomes are inten ....Cycle Aware: Driving with Bikes. This project focuses on the education and training required by drivers to interact safely with cyclists. It uses two ontologically diverse methodologies to examine how Australian drivers become cyclist aware and the education and training necessary to foster safe driver–cyclist interactions. The project aims to provide a critical knowledge base for state and territory driver education policies and a cycle-aware module for learner drivers. These outcomes are intended to reduce cyclist road trauma and on-road tensions between cyclists and drivers, and to improve opportunities for active travel to tackle the growing issue of inactivity.Read moreRead less
Virtual Galleries: new media technologies to influence livelihood and arts participation in remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia. The Virtual Galleries project addresses the issue of limited economic development in remote communities by introducing a user-controlled webcam and interactive 3-D (three-dimensional) Art Galleries into remote art centres to help people in remote communities to secure an income and create wealth and social wellbeing for themselves, their families an ....Virtual Galleries: new media technologies to influence livelihood and arts participation in remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia. The Virtual Galleries project addresses the issue of limited economic development in remote communities by introducing a user-controlled webcam and interactive 3-D (three-dimensional) Art Galleries into remote art centres to help people in remote communities to secure an income and create wealth and social wellbeing for themselves, their families and their communities.Read moreRead less
Does monitoring and evaluation improve joint management? The case of national parks in the Northern Territory. Joint Indigenous/government management is to be mainstreamed in 30 national parks and reserves in the Northern Territory over the next few years including some of Australia's iconic natural wonders. This project will identify how participatory monitoring and evaluation enhances the realisation of benefits from joint management, how it can be done cost effectively, and how it can be scal ....Does monitoring and evaluation improve joint management? The case of national parks in the Northern Territory. Joint Indigenous/government management is to be mainstreamed in 30 national parks and reserves in the Northern Territory over the next few years including some of Australia's iconic natural wonders. This project will identify how participatory monitoring and evaluation enhances the realisation of benefits from joint management, how it can be done cost effectively, and how it can be scaled up from six pilot areas to areas across the NT and Australia wide. The project will build capacity of Indigenous Traditional Owners to participate in monitoring and evaluation for improved management and livelihood outcomes for the benefit of not just the residents of these natural areas, but for all Australians. Read moreRead less
Automated groundwater level mapping: a tool for catchment scale estimation of aquifer storage changes, fluxes and hydrogeological properties. Cutting-edge groundwater mapping tools will be developed by this project and made freely available. Water table maps will be derived for Victoria and used to quantify aquifer properties, recharge and the groundwater balance. Fundamental limitations to quantitative groundwater management will be overcome and the Bureau of Meteorology intend to adopt the fin ....Automated groundwater level mapping: a tool for catchment scale estimation of aquifer storage changes, fluxes and hydrogeological properties. Cutting-edge groundwater mapping tools will be developed by this project and made freely available. Water table maps will be derived for Victoria and used to quantify aquifer properties, recharge and the groundwater balance. Fundamental limitations to quantitative groundwater management will be overcome and the Bureau of Meteorology intend to adopt the findings.Read moreRead less