Strategies to reduce risk of heat induced illness during intermittent, high intensity activity in a tropical environment. Regular intermittent, high intensity physical activity (IHIA) affords protection against modern life-style diseases (type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and some cancers) but when conducted in the tropics, exposes persons to the risk of dehydration, heat cramps, hypotension, heat syncope, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Australia has rapid population growth in the tropi ....Strategies to reduce risk of heat induced illness during intermittent, high intensity activity in a tropical environment. Regular intermittent, high intensity physical activity (IHIA) affords protection against modern life-style diseases (type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and some cancers) but when conducted in the tropics, exposes persons to the risk of dehydration, heat cramps, hypotension, heat syncope, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Australia has rapid population growth in the tropics and key sporting fixtures have moved to the region. We have set up the research capability and must now move on a range of IHIA in sport, workplaces, armed and emergency services to provide strategies to reduce the risk of heat induced illness in a tropical environment.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
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
Analysis of legislation and policies affecting the development of Indigenous wildlife-based enterprises. Entrepreneurial enterprise development by Indigenous people in remote regions is being encouraged as part of government policy to move people off welfare and into work. Indigenous knowledge of wildlife makes it a logical source of wealth generation but a range of legal and policy constraints add to substantial existing social and logistical problems. An understanding of the legal processes in ....Analysis of legislation and policies affecting the development of Indigenous wildlife-based enterprises. Entrepreneurial enterprise development by Indigenous people in remote regions is being encouraged as part of government policy to move people off welfare and into work. Indigenous knowledge of wildlife makes it a logical source of wealth generation but a range of legal and policy constraints add to substantial existing social and logistical problems. An understanding of the legal processes involved in establishing and maintaining sustainable and ongoing wildlife-based enterprises will improve their chances of success, and will also offer the opportunity to change regulatory frameworks to ensure consistency, remove contradictions and encourage workforce participation. The research will have national and international implications.Read moreRead less
CENTRE OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE TO REDUCE INEQUALITY IN HEART DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,607,253.00
Summary
There is increasing recognition of a societal responsibility to provide effective and sustainable health care to the entire population and not just to selected parts. Indigenous and regional Australians are most affected by Australia's biggest killer - heart disease. In response, the CRE to Reduce Inequality in Heart Disease, is a national collaboration of researchers from a range of health disciplines. Together they aim to address this problem by developing sustainable and cost-effective health ....There is increasing recognition of a societal responsibility to provide effective and sustainable health care to the entire population and not just to selected parts. Indigenous and regional Australians are most affected by Australia's biggest killer - heart disease. In response, the CRE to Reduce Inequality in Heart Disease, is a national collaboration of researchers from a range of health disciplines. Together they aim to address this problem by developing sustainable and cost-effective health care services.Read moreRead less
Bringing back Australia's lost woodland biodiversity: towards strategic multi-species reintroductions. Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction of any continent on the planet. This has reduced biodiversity and compromised many important ecological processes. What is the best way to re-build depauperate mammal communities with multi-species reintroductions? What effects do multi-species reintroductions have on recipient ecosystems? This project aims to explore these questions by reintr ....Bringing back Australia's lost woodland biodiversity: towards strategic multi-species reintroductions. Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction of any continent on the planet. This has reduced biodiversity and compromised many important ecological processes. What is the best way to re-build depauperate mammal communities with multi-species reintroductions? What effects do multi-species reintroductions have on recipient ecosystems? This project aims to explore these questions by reintroducing three mammal species to a critically endangered temperate woodland: a carnivore (the eastern quoll), an insectivore (yellow-footed antechinus), and a herbivore (the eastern chestnut mouse). Results from this sequenced multi-species reintroduction experiment will have broad applicability to ecosystem restoration in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
A landscape-scale experimental test of factors driving mammal declines in northern Australia. Australia has suffered the highest rate of modern mammal extinctions in the world. Foxes have been largely responsible for this extinction in southern Australia and probably also Central Australia. However the decline in mammals in northern Australia has occurred later than that in the south, and in the absence of foxes. We will adopt an experimental approach to determine the mechanisms driving mammal d ....A landscape-scale experimental test of factors driving mammal declines in northern Australia. Australia has suffered the highest rate of modern mammal extinctions in the world. Foxes have been largely responsible for this extinction in southern Australia and probably also Central Australia. However the decline in mammals in northern Australia has occurred later than that in the south, and in the absence of foxes. We will adopt an experimental approach to determine the mechanisms driving mammal declines and extinctions in northern Australia. Populations of brush-tail tree rats (Conilurus penicillatus) will be translocated to suitable habitat on mainland sites that experience different fire regimes and predation pressures.Read moreRead less
Arresting declines of arboreal mammals in the tropical savannas. This project aims to evaluate the hypothesis that arboreal species are limited by the abundance of tree hollows, and that historical increases in the frequency of intense fires may be reducing hollow abundance. Northern Australia’s mammals are in severe decline, and arboreal species are among those that have fared worst. There is abundant anecdotal evidence that a decline in hollow abundance is the cause. Working with the Western A ....Arresting declines of arboreal mammals in the tropical savannas. This project aims to evaluate the hypothesis that arboreal species are limited by the abundance of tree hollows, and that historical increases in the frequency of intense fires may be reducing hollow abundance. Northern Australia’s mammals are in severe decline, and arboreal species are among those that have fared worst. There is abundant anecdotal evidence that a decline in hollow abundance is the cause. Working with the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife in the Kimberley, the last region on the Australian mainland with an intact mammal fauna, the project aims to explore management options for increasing the availability of hollow denning sites for arboreal mammals (e.g. fire management, artificial nest boxes), and evaluate the likely impact of such actions on mammal populations across northern Australia.Read moreRead less
Conservation management of seed-eating birds in the tropical savannas. Biodiversity loss in the savannas indicates unsustainable management. This research will enhance our abilities to effectively manage Australia's tropical savannas, as well as contributing to several State and Territory, Commonwealth and international obligations to maintain biodiversity. Understanding the processes underlying current declines will also make the effects of future management or environment changes easier to pre ....Conservation management of seed-eating birds in the tropical savannas. Biodiversity loss in the savannas indicates unsustainable management. This research will enhance our abilities to effectively manage Australia's tropical savannas, as well as contributing to several State and Territory, Commonwealth and international obligations to maintain biodiversity. Understanding the processes underlying current declines will also make the effects of future management or environment changes easier to predict. Retaining threatened species can benefit remote and regional communities through tourism, and also through the extra employment required to implement the management prescriptions that will be developed from this research.Read moreRead less
Timber harvest management for the Aboriginal arts industry: socio-economic, cultural and ecological determinants of sustainability in a remote community context. The Aboriginal arts industry is one of few development opportunities for Indigenous people in remote communities: in some regions a vibrant industry has been established for three decades. Yet there has been limited research that has combined assessment of the social, ecological and economic determinants of arts production sustainabilit ....Timber harvest management for the Aboriginal arts industry: socio-economic, cultural and ecological determinants of sustainability in a remote community context. The Aboriginal arts industry is one of few development opportunities for Indigenous people in remote communities: in some regions a vibrant industry has been established for three decades. Yet there has been limited research that has combined assessment of the social, ecological and economic determinants of arts production sustainability. This project addresses this issue with reference to the rapidly expanding manufacture of sculptures marketed by Maningrida Arts and Culture in central Arnhem Land. The project will survey resource use and availability, examine the ecological and economic viability of this emerging artistic tradition and make practical recommendations to enhance sustainability.Read moreRead less