Environmental Interpretation: Towards a globally relevant model for communicating with tourists from culturally diverse backgrounds. Environmental interpretation, a widely accepted approach to communicating with tourists in North America, Latin America and the U.K., is based on communication research undertaken mainly by researchers in western cultures or focused on Anglo-Saxon audiences. This project advances theory and practice by critically examining the relevance of this model for communic ....Environmental Interpretation: Towards a globally relevant model for communicating with tourists from culturally diverse backgrounds. Environmental interpretation, a widely accepted approach to communicating with tourists in North America, Latin America and the U.K., is based on communication research undertaken mainly by researchers in western cultures or focused on Anglo-Saxon audiences. This project advances theory and practice by critically examining the relevance of this model for communicating with visitors from a range of cultural backgrounds. Environmental messages, communication media and the application of environmental interpretation principles are experimentally manipulated to evaluate their relative effectiveness in communicating with international and domestic visitors from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds, as a basis for refining the model for wider application.Read moreRead less
Mesozoic Austral Biodiversity: Research and Regional Museum Applications. The impact of environmental alteration on Australia’s biodiversity has poorly understood long-term effects. This project examines the controversial biogeography and evolution of Australia’s biodiversity during the Age of Dinosaurs (mid-Cretaceous ~100 MYA) and their adaptational responses to climatic change. Fossils readily capture the public imagination and thus help promote complex scientific concepts in the global media ....Mesozoic Austral Biodiversity: Research and Regional Museum Applications. The impact of environmental alteration on Australia’s biodiversity has poorly understood long-term effects. This project examines the controversial biogeography and evolution of Australia’s biodiversity during the Age of Dinosaurs (mid-Cretaceous ~100 MYA) and their adaptational responses to climatic change. Fossils readily capture the public imagination and thus help promote complex scientific concepts in the global media. This project raises awareness about sustainable use of non-renewable fossil resources through public education and ecotourism fieldwork programs; these will help generate local interest and thus protection of sensitive fossil localities by highlighting them as lucrative tourism assets for regional communities.Read moreRead less
CEWAY: Cognitively ergonomic wayfinding directions for location-based services. This project develops qualitative models of wayfinding directions based on landmarks (e.g., 'to the hospital') and common spatial predicates (e.g. 'near to'). These models provide a basis for selecting salient features in different contexts and combining these features with vague spatial predicates. Such wayfinding directions require less cognitive workload and lead to higher success rates in wayfinding than current ....CEWAY: Cognitively ergonomic wayfinding directions for location-based services. This project develops qualitative models of wayfinding directions based on landmarks (e.g., 'to the hospital') and common spatial predicates (e.g. 'near to'). These models provide a basis for selecting salient features in different contexts and combining these features with vague spatial predicates. Such wayfinding directions require less cognitive workload and lead to higher success rates in wayfinding than current approaches. The project develops an integrated formal model of context-dependent salience and navigation under uncertainty. A demonstrator will be implemented based on the industry partners' software platform and data. Human subject tests using the demonstrator software will be used to verify the efficacy of our approach.Read moreRead less
An optimally integrated treatment process for food waste and wastewater to maximise sustainability in a decentralised treatment plant. Decentralised small scale treatment plants are required for remote communities, resort locations and 'rural residential' developments. This project has access to an operational plant in urban Brisbane serving 21 houses, the first development in urban Australia with full approval for an onsite treatment facility. The plant has been designed to treat an integrate ....An optimally integrated treatment process for food waste and wastewater to maximise sustainability in a decentralised treatment plant. Decentralised small scale treatment plants are required for remote communities, resort locations and 'rural residential' developments. This project has access to an operational plant in urban Brisbane serving 21 houses, the first development in urban Australia with full approval for an onsite treatment facility. The plant has been designed to treat an integrated kitchen waste and blackwater stream, with upstream anaerobic digestion that reduces the survival of wastewater pathogens and generates soluble organic carbon for the biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorous. The project will produce expertise in decentralised treatment systems, including the development of two PhD students in this area.Read moreRead less
The impact of location-specific urban digital social information networks and public displays on the City of Melbourne. The purpose of this project is to enhance the city as a vibrant destination by taking digital content and anchoring it in the physical world. The outcomes will be physical nodes of interaction in urban cultural hubs - e.g., museums, libraries, cafes - allowing users to post media, stories and events that are locally relevant for others to consume.
Backpacker cultures, residential communities, and the construction of tourist spaces and landscapes: A regional study of changing tourism dynamics in Sydney. This interdisciplinary project draws on Cultural Studies, Cultural Geography, and Tourism to respond to industry calls for more comprehensive, long-term research on tourism issues, particularly backpacker tourism in the Sydney metropolitan region. The project will explore tourism as a complex cultural practice through an innovative approach ....Backpacker cultures, residential communities, and the construction of tourist spaces and landscapes: A regional study of changing tourism dynamics in Sydney. This interdisciplinary project draws on Cultural Studies, Cultural Geography, and Tourism to respond to industry calls for more comprehensive, long-term research on tourism issues, particularly backpacker tourism in the Sydney metropolitan region. The project will explore tourism as a complex cultural practice through an innovative approach investigating the links between backpacker tourism and the transformation of places and communities. The focus is on backpackers, with a special emphasis on the problems Local Government faces in relation to backpackers within residential communities. The project will generate new approaches to these issues, informing a range of policies for local councils.Read moreRead less
Better destination image data through lower cognitive load measures. This project will develop survey question formats which require less cognitive effort from respondents, leading to: (1) better market insight and improved business strategies for the tourism industry; (2) better tourism consumer behaviour theories; and (3) the collection of higher quality image data by market researchers for their clients.
Encouraging voluntary purchasing of carbon offsets. Climate change is one of the most critical challenges societies collectively face today and in the future. Voluntary carbon offsetting offers a solution that avoids politically costly mandatory offset schemes. Yet, currently very few people purchase carbon offsets voluntarily; fewer than 10% of air travellers, for example. There is significant untapped growth potential. This project will (1) profile consumers interested in voluntarily purchasin ....Encouraging voluntary purchasing of carbon offsets. Climate change is one of the most critical challenges societies collectively face today and in the future. Voluntary carbon offsetting offers a solution that avoids politically costly mandatory offset schemes. Yet, currently very few people purchase carbon offsets voluntarily; fewer than 10% of air travellers, for example. There is significant untapped growth potential. This project will (1) profile consumers interested in voluntarily purchasing carbon offsets, (2) identify motivational sub-segments among them, and (3) develop and experimentally test carbon offset offers for domestic flights targeted at these segments. Findings will generalise beyond carbon offsetting for air traffic.Read moreRead less
Fatigue Strengthening of Metallic Bridges using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer System. A large number of metallic structures such as bridges, offshore platforms and large mining equipment are aging. Retrofitting such structures is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Using an advanced material, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), to strengthen metallic structures is very promising. This project aims to develop reliable CFRP strengthening systems for aging metallic bridges. I ....Fatigue Strengthening of Metallic Bridges using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer System. A large number of metallic structures such as bridges, offshore platforms and large mining equipment are aging. Retrofitting such structures is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Using an advanced material, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), to strengthen metallic structures is very promising. This project aims to develop reliable CFRP strengthening systems for aging metallic bridges. It aims to make a breakthrough in understanding of the fatigue crack propagation in CFRP-metal composite system under combined loading. It intends also to produce practical guidelines for engineers to strengthen aging metallic bridges.Read moreRead less
Conceptualisation and Measurement of Customer Value: An Application to the Timeshare Industry. Timeshare or resort ownership is a growing industry worldwide. There are more than 110 timeshare properties in Australia, most of which are located in regional communities. This research will benefit these communities through the provision of information to enhance and sustain the development of this expanding industry. The information obtained will assist the collaborating organisation in the transfor ....Conceptualisation and Measurement of Customer Value: An Application to the Timeshare Industry. Timeshare or resort ownership is a growing industry worldwide. There are more than 110 timeshare properties in Australia, most of which are located in regional communities. This research will benefit these communities through the provision of information to enhance and sustain the development of this expanding industry. The information obtained will assist the collaborating organisation in the transformation of the industry, while addressing some of the concerns raised in a 2005 Parliamentary Inquiry. The project examines how consumers obtain value from the timeshare product. The project has the potential to be applied internationally thus providing export opportunities for Australia.Read moreRead less