Has it always burned so hot? Fuel and fire in southeast Australian forests. Indigenous cultural burning has been raised as a way of mitigating against climate-driven catastrophic bushfires in southeast Australian forests. It is argued that returning an Indigenous style fire regime will keep landscape fuel loads low, thus reducing the frequency and intensity of bushfires and mitigating against large catastrophic bushfires. While based on enormous reservoirs of traditional fire knowledge in Indige ....Has it always burned so hot? Fuel and fire in southeast Australian forests. Indigenous cultural burning has been raised as a way of mitigating against climate-driven catastrophic bushfires in southeast Australian forests. It is argued that returning an Indigenous style fire regime will keep landscape fuel loads low, thus reducing the frequency and intensity of bushfires and mitigating against large catastrophic bushfires. While based on enormous reservoirs of traditional fire knowledge in Indigenous communities, this assertion needs empirical testing within these highly flammable forests. This project aims to empirically test how fuel loads, fuel type, fire frequency and fire intensity have changed over the past 500 years in southeast Australian forests, spanning the period of indigenous to British management.Read moreRead less
Investigation of atypical bushfire spread driven by the interaction of wind, terrain and fire. Large bushfires continue to pose a significant risk to communities in south-eastern Australia. Despite this, there is still very little known about the processes driving the development of large bushfires. This project aims to improve understanding of extreme fire processes and thus improve mitigation planning, community safety and environmental outcomes.
Understanding the role of deep flaming in violent pyroconvective events. This project aims to improve the prediction of firestorms by combining state-of-the-art knowledge of dynamic bushfire behaviour with atmospheric models to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the heat and moisture released by a bushfire interacts with ambient atmospheric instability to produce extreme fire events. Firestorms represent the most extreme and catastrophic phase of development of a bushfire. They often c ....Understanding the role of deep flaming in violent pyroconvective events. This project aims to improve the prediction of firestorms by combining state-of-the-art knowledge of dynamic bushfire behaviour with atmospheric models to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the heat and moisture released by a bushfire interacts with ambient atmospheric instability to produce extreme fire events. Firestorms represent the most extreme and catastrophic phase of development of a bushfire. They often cause broad-scale loss of property, environmental damage and human fatalities. Firestorms cannot be suppressed, and so accurate and timely warnings of their occurrence, combined with appropriate community responses, are the only way of mitigating their effects. Better understanding of extreme fire processes may improve mitigation planning, community safety, environmental outcomes and emergency response measures.Read moreRead less
Understanding the role of terrain geometry in eruptive bushfire behaviour. This project aims to improve understanding of the physical processes that cause eruptive bushfire behaviour, otherwise known as fire blow-up. Eruptive fire behaviour, characterised by rapid and unexpected escalation in fire intensity and rate of spread, is a global phenomenon that poses a major threat to fire-fighter safety and can seriously compromise bushfire suppression efforts. This project will address the role that ....Understanding the role of terrain geometry in eruptive bushfire behaviour. This project aims to improve understanding of the physical processes that cause eruptive bushfire behaviour, otherwise known as fire blow-up. Eruptive fire behaviour, characterised by rapid and unexpected escalation in fire intensity and rate of spread, is a global phenomenon that poses a major threat to fire-fighter safety and can seriously compromise bushfire suppression efforts. This project will address the role that terrain geometry plays in the incidence of fire eruption, through consideration of its effect on the attachment of flames to a surface. Expected outcomes include a dynamic fire spread modelling framework and the provision of better advice to bushfire authorities concerning fire blow-up.Read moreRead less
Healing Land Healing People: Novel Nyungar Perspectives . This project aims to investigate means of biodiversity conservation and human resilience in a global hotspot by advancing collaborations between Aboriginal environmental and cultural knowledges and Western science and humanities. The project will generate new strategies to slow decline of biodiversity in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region, and help build Aboriginal resilience by exploring innovative techniques to restore narrative ....Healing Land Healing People: Novel Nyungar Perspectives . This project aims to investigate means of biodiversity conservation and human resilience in a global hotspot by advancing collaborations between Aboriginal environmental and cultural knowledges and Western science and humanities. The project will generate new strategies to slow decline of biodiversity in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region, and help build Aboriginal resilience by exploring innovative techniques to restore narratives of local life styles to Dryandra Woodland history. Expected outcomes include enhanced sustainability of environment and culture and new theories and assessment models. This should provide significant benefits for Aboriginal well-being, national reconciliation and for coping with global climate change.
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Walan Mayiny: Indigenous leadership in higher education. This project aims to explore the way universities currently ‘do business’ with Indigenous Australians through focusing on Indigenous leadership in higher education. It will identify the essential components of Indigenous leadership and will establish a model of best practice for the inclusivity of Indigenous leadership within higher education governance structures. Particular focus will be placed on the roles and values of senior Indigen ....Walan Mayiny: Indigenous leadership in higher education. This project aims to explore the way universities currently ‘do business’ with Indigenous Australians through focusing on Indigenous leadership in higher education. It will identify the essential components of Indigenous leadership and will establish a model of best practice for the inclusivity of Indigenous leadership within higher education governance structures. Particular focus will be placed on the roles and values of senior Indigenous appointments as well as factors effecting institutional fit and contribution to Indigenous outcomes. In addition the project will develop new tools and methods to explore this under-theorised area.Read moreRead less
Empowering Indigenous businesses through improved financial literacy. This project aims to compare the level of financial and commercial literacy of Indigenous and non-Indigenous small business owners. It will analyse financial performance, contrast the support and resources available to Indigenous small business owners in independent and franchised businesses in urban, regional and remote areas of Australia. It is anticipated that the research will promote financial health and sustainability of ....Empowering Indigenous businesses through improved financial literacy. This project aims to compare the level of financial and commercial literacy of Indigenous and non-Indigenous small business owners. It will analyse financial performance, contrast the support and resources available to Indigenous small business owners in independent and franchised businesses in urban, regional and remote areas of Australia. It is anticipated that the research will promote financial health and sustainability of Indigenous businesses and lead to greater levels of financial literacy in Indigenous businesses in the future.Read moreRead less
A Deadly Solution:Towards an Indigenous-led bush food industry. Native bushfood and ornamental plants are a significant part of Indigenous biocultural heritage, yet few products are marketed by Indigenous businesses. This research aims to enable Indigenous businesses from bushfoods and native ornamental plants endemic to the Custodial Lands of four Traditional Owner partners. The Project will investigate new technologies for horticultural and food products, product traceability, and transparent ....A Deadly Solution:Towards an Indigenous-led bush food industry. Native bushfood and ornamental plants are a significant part of Indigenous biocultural heritage, yet few products are marketed by Indigenous businesses. This research aims to enable Indigenous businesses from bushfoods and native ornamental plants endemic to the Custodial Lands of four Traditional Owner partners. The Project will investigate new technologies for horticultural and food products, product traceability, and transparent and secure information flows. The expected project outcomes are: bushfood and ornamental plants developed for innovative value chains and business tools. Key expected benefits are: sustainable, profitable Indigenous industries, and revitalisation of Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous biocultural heritage. Read moreRead less
Aboriginal Economic Development: Impact of Indigenous Chambers Commerce. This project aims to assess the economic impact of recent initiatives in Aboriginal economic development. In the last decade, Aboriginal-owned small business has increased; Indigenous Chambers of Commerce have been established and have developed memorandums of understanding for procurement of goods and services with industry; and the Opportunity, Choice, Healing, Responsibility, Empowerment (OCHRE) project was implemented b ....Aboriginal Economic Development: Impact of Indigenous Chambers Commerce. This project aims to assess the economic impact of recent initiatives in Aboriginal economic development. In the last decade, Aboriginal-owned small business has increased; Indigenous Chambers of Commerce have been established and have developed memorandums of understanding for procurement of goods and services with industry; and the Opportunity, Choice, Healing, Responsibility, Empowerment (OCHRE) project was implemented by the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs to stimulate economic development within Australia’s largest Aboriginal population. Using NSW as a case study, the project intends to assess economic development, job creation, new company creation, increase in the wellbeing of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal partners, and increase in social positivity. This may support the development of effective evidence-based government policy in the sector.Read moreRead less
Healing Country: integrating knowledge systems to meet climate challenges. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are currently experiencing severe environmental challenges related to a changing climate. Led by Aboriginal communities, this project aims to integrate traditional knowledges and environmental and health data to create community story-data maps. These interactive, online maps will be a unique and powerful blend of information, providing a rich evidence base, decision-suppo ....Healing Country: integrating knowledge systems to meet climate challenges. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are currently experiencing severe environmental challenges related to a changing climate. Led by Aboriginal communities, this project aims to integrate traditional knowledges and environmental and health data to create community story-data maps. These interactive, online maps will be a unique and powerful blend of information, providing a rich evidence base, decision-support and communication tool to inform the co-design of local climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience plans. The project aims to give agency to Aboriginal communities in leading a systems change process to reduce environmental risks and strengthen health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less