Incentivising On Country Aboriginal Employment: Anangu Futures. . This project aims to investigate the changing face of cultural tourism in central Australia and examine pathways towards sustainable aboriginal employment in and around Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The project is significant because it brings together Aboriginal community members, industry and government stakeholders to identify micro-business opportunities, youth training initiatives, better relations across cultural divides, ....Incentivising On Country Aboriginal Employment: Anangu Futures. . This project aims to investigate the changing face of cultural tourism in central Australia and examine pathways towards sustainable aboriginal employment in and around Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The project is significant because it brings together Aboriginal community members, industry and government stakeholders to identify micro-business opportunities, youth training initiatives, better relations across cultural divides, and the economic value of Aboriginal knowledge. Outcomes include a model for sustainable Aboriginal employment in remote and very remote contexts, and the development of culturally relevant and sustainable governing guidelines for regional investment. Benefits include more sustainable jobs for Aboriginal people.Read moreRead less
Understanding mud pumping in heavy haul railroads. This project aims to examine the factors that cause mud pumping and evaluate the effectiveness of sub-surface drainage to prevent rail track instability. Fast heavy haul operations (such as loads used in mining and agriculture) impart repeated loads on the natural formation that can result in mud pumping. If the build-up of water pressure becomes excessive this can cause track failure. Through an experimental program and field study, the mechani ....Understanding mud pumping in heavy haul railroads. This project aims to examine the factors that cause mud pumping and evaluate the effectiveness of sub-surface drainage to prevent rail track instability. Fast heavy haul operations (such as loads used in mining and agriculture) impart repeated loads on the natural formation that can result in mud pumping. If the build-up of water pressure becomes excessive this can cause track failure. Through an experimental program and field study, the mechanisms of mud pumping, incorporating train loads and frequencies, will be studied, and the role of vertically installed drains will be quantified for improved practical design. The project aims to contribute to improved track longevity and reduced maintenance costs, with a corresponding boost in rail productivity.Read moreRead less
Aliens and Others: Representing citizenship and internments in Australia during WW2. This project will consider an episode in Australia's wartime history, the classification and internment of aliens in Australia during WW2, and analyse its different representations in historical discourse and personal and collective memory. In partnership with the National Museum of Australia and the National Archives of Australia, an on-line interactive exhibition and an archive incorporating written, spoken an ....Aliens and Others: Representing citizenship and internments in Australia during WW2. This project will consider an episode in Australia's wartime history, the classification and internment of aliens in Australia during WW2, and analyse its different representations in historical discourse and personal and collective memory. In partnership with the National Museum of Australia and the National Archives of Australia, an on-line interactive exhibition and an archive incorporating written, spoken and visual memory will be developed, a public conference presented and scholarly articles written. These outcomes will be a dynamic multi-layered analysis of the changing interactions between history, personal and social memory.Read moreRead less
Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of ....Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of the project will be a significantly improved prediction tool. It is also anticipated that the project will result in improvements in dam and public safety, and more efficient use of funds for dam safety upgrades and management.Read moreRead less
Long-term changes in Mackay Whitsunday water quality and connectivity between coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems. Declining water quality is implicated in the degradation of near-shore Great Barrier Reef (GBR) ecosystems. The goal of this project is to provide a definitive answer to the question of how GBR water quality has changed since European arrival (pre-1860). Using novel geochemical proxies in long-lived coral cores and innovative remote sensing techniques, we will develop quantitative h ....Long-term changes in Mackay Whitsunday water quality and connectivity between coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems. Declining water quality is implicated in the degradation of near-shore Great Barrier Reef (GBR) ecosystems. The goal of this project is to provide a definitive answer to the question of how GBR water quality has changed since European arrival (pre-1860). Using novel geochemical proxies in long-lived coral cores and innovative remote sensing techniques, we will develop quantitative histories of water quality and mangrove distribution change. This project will deliver the first integrated assessment of how coastal water quality and associated ecosystems have varied historically, which will be immediately applicable for long-term management of coastal ecosystems lining the GBR.Read moreRead less
Beyond Allied Histories: Dayak Memories of World War II in Borneo. Western histories of wars focus overwhelmingly on the experiences of European participants. This project explores World War II in Borneo, a highly significant but little-known Australian wartime site, by focusing on the marginalised memories of the island’s indigenous Dayak peoples. By juxtaposing Dayak memories of the war with those of Australian soldiers and prisoners-of-war, the project aims to both advance scholarly understan ....Beyond Allied Histories: Dayak Memories of World War II in Borneo. Western histories of wars focus overwhelmingly on the experiences of European participants. This project explores World War II in Borneo, a highly significant but little-known Australian wartime site, by focusing on the marginalised memories of the island’s indigenous Dayak peoples. By juxtaposing Dayak memories of the war with those of Australian soldiers and prisoners-of-war, the project aims to both advance scholarly understanding of Dayak codes of otherness and relatedness, and cast new light on the war itself.Read moreRead less
Novel test and design methods for base course reinforced flexible pavements. This project aims to develop the mechanics of geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavements as an urgent need for the Australian pavement industry to build more sustainable and economical roads. Novel laboratory test apparatus and in-situ test programs, and mathematical models will be developed, for the first time, to capture the responses of reinforced base courses in a complete and optimised way to determine the paramete ....Novel test and design methods for base course reinforced flexible pavements. This project aims to develop the mechanics of geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavements as an urgent need for the Australian pavement industry to build more sustainable and economical roads. Novel laboratory test apparatus and in-situ test programs, and mathematical models will be developed, for the first time, to capture the responses of reinforced base courses in a complete and optimised way to determine the parameters for pavement design and performance evaluation. The outcomes will enable reliable prediction of reinforced pavement behaviour, leading to better-performing geosynthetic products and more resilient pavements, reduced material usage and damage in pavements, and less environmental impact and maintenance cost.Read moreRead less
Erosion of embankment dams and dam spillways. In excess of $250M is spent annually to maintain, upgrade, improve safety and monitor performance of Australian dams. Improved methods for assessing both spillway and internal erosion, the cause of 50 per cent of embankment dam failures and incidents requiring repairs, will be developed, maximising dam safety and minimising maintenance expenditure.
Evaluating the impact of Indigenous preferential procurement programs. This project aims to conduct a multi-disciplinary, multi-method evaluation of the implementation and impacts of Indigenous preferential procurement programs (IPPPs) on Indigenous businesses, Indigenous communities, procurers’ operations and outcomes. Bringing together researchers in partnership with corporate and government procurers, Indigenous data custodians and the Australian Bureau of Statistics we aim to produce a signi ....Evaluating the impact of Indigenous preferential procurement programs. This project aims to conduct a multi-disciplinary, multi-method evaluation of the implementation and impacts of Indigenous preferential procurement programs (IPPPs) on Indigenous businesses, Indigenous communities, procurers’ operations and outcomes. Bringing together researchers in partnership with corporate and government procurers, Indigenous data custodians and the Australian Bureau of Statistics we aim to produce a significant national program evaluation of IPPPs and the impact at the community level. The project aims to highlight ways in which IPPPs can be [re]designed to reduce implementation friction, facilitate access and participation among Indigenous businesses and help guarantee positive effects on Indigenous communities.Read moreRead less
Sewer Monitoring and Management in the Digital Era. Overflow, flooding, corrosion, and odorous emissions are persistent issues for utilities managing sewers. Current sewer maintenance is reactive, and focuses on solving problems in local networks, despite that optimal solutions require a system-wide approach. Capitalising on recent development in IoT sensors, wireless transmission, and machine learning, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop digital-twin supported data analytics for proa ....Sewer Monitoring and Management in the Digital Era. Overflow, flooding, corrosion, and odorous emissions are persistent issues for utilities managing sewers. Current sewer maintenance is reactive, and focuses on solving problems in local networks, despite that optimal solutions require a system-wide approach. Capitalising on recent development in IoT sensors, wireless transmission, and machine learning, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop digital-twin supported data analytics for proactive sewer management including network-wide real-time control. The project aims to generate significant social, environmental and economic benefits by enabling utilities to better protect public and environmental health, reduce sewer odour and greenhouse gas emissions, and extend sewer asset life.Read moreRead less