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Dam failures that cause significant adverse downstream impacts continue to occur globally. Hence, effective, adequately resourced dam safety regulation is critical for the safety of dams and downstream communities. This paper explores options for regulatory funding and resourcing according to a selected set of relevant key factors along a continuum of dam safety assurance. An international comparative analysis of 15 jurisdictional case studies against the key factors identifies trends representing indicative precedents. A procedure is developed to help identify increasingly relevant precedents for guiding target jurisdictions on potentially suitable options. Illustrative application to a real case in Australia is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian nature-based tourism and ecotourism have become popular forms of recreational activity. Tasmania attracts twice the Australian national average number of nature-based tourists and ecotourists (thirty per cent). The growth of this tourism sector has prompted measures to ensure that experiences are of high quality, and that environmental impacts are adequately managed. ISO 14000 is an environmental management and certification system often utilized as an environmental management system standard within various industries, but has not been widely applied to the Australian tourism industry. The Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program (NEAP) represents the most significant accreditation measure within Australia at present. This paper assesses the relevance of NEAP in the Tasmanian nature-based tourism and ecotourism industry through in-depth interviews with a key informant group and a comparative analysis of interview data. The paper introduces nature-based tourism and ecotourism definitions and discusses the growing relevance of ecotourism accreditation. The paper argues that NEAP is relevant to the Tasmanian nature-based tourism and ecotourism industry, where the quality of the natural environment forms the central focus for such experiences. Furthermore, the paper argues that NEAP can assist in supporting the State's nature-based tourism and ecotourism industry through means such as branding and promotion. However, problems exist in relation to financial issues between NEAP and operators, and the perceived overlap of NEAP with the widely implemented Tourism Council Tasmania Accreditation Program. Thus, financial issues need to be addressed by the Ecotourism Association of Australia in association with Australian Commonwealth Government subsidization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiculturalism as ideology and policy has been criticised for over-focusing on cultural identities and differences and a lack of focus on the structural inequality of ethno-cultural groups. This paper focuses on the latter issue through a comparative analysis of the workforce integration of immigrants to Australia. Past research has shown that non-English-speaking-background (NESB) immigrants were worse off than both the Australia-born and English-speaking-background (ESB) immigrants in achieving a job status and income corresponding to their educational qualifications. The paper compares 2006 Census data on education level, type of job, length of residence and English proficiency for eight NESB groups, one ESB group (UK) and the Australia-born. The investigation focuses on how well different birthplace groups are able to translate their skills into appropriate jobs, when controlling for English proficiency and length of residence. The main finding confirms that NESB immigrants still have worse employment outcomes than the Australia-born and UK-born overall, but some NESB groups match the success of the Anglophone groups in vocational sector employment. Among the tertiary educated, the employment outcomes of the Australia-born are better than those of all immigrant groups, closely followed by the UK-born and two other European groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current international targets aim for 90% of people diagnosed with HIV to be on antiretroviral treatment (ART). This paper aims to identify sociodemographic and attitudinal factors associated with ART non-use over time in three samples of Australian people living with HIV (PLHIV). Data for this paper were derived from an Australian cross-sectional survey of PLHIV that was repeated at three different time points: 1997, 2003, and 2012. There were approximately 1000 respondents to each survey (n = 3042 in total). The survey included approximately 250 items related broadly to health and well-being, ART use, and attitudes towards ART use. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. While the proportion of participants using ART increased between 1997 and 2012 (78.8–87.6%,p < .001), there was a decrease between 1997 and 2003 to 70.6% (p < .001). Factors linked to ART non-use remained steady over those 15 years. In all cohorts, people less likely to be using ART were younger and had a more recent diagnosis of HIV. In 2003 and 2012, people in full-time employment were less likely to be using ART, while those whose main source of income was a pension or social security were more likely to be using ART. Multivariate models showed that, at each time point, a belief in the health benefits of delayed ART uptake was associated with non-use. These findings suggest that there may be barriers to ART uptake that have persisted over time despite changes to clinical guidelines that now encourage early uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To examine whether differences in access to specialist disability services by people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds when compared with those born in Australia represent a service gap or the healthy migrant effect.Method: To use the latest disability statistics to measure the different rates of people with disability, and the rates of people with profound and severe disability, of people born in Australia and those born abroad; to compare the difference between those who mainly speak English with those who primarily speak a language other than English at home (LOTE); and examine the age-specific and standardised disability rates of these subgroups.Results: The rate of access of specialist disability services by people with disability who were from CALD backgrounds is highly disproportionate to their presence in the community. As a whole, people from CALD backgrounds have a similar level of disability as Australia-born people. They have a greater rate of profound and severe disability and a higher level of need for assistance in undertaking core activities. For younger age cohorts targeted by specialist disability services, there is little difference in the level of need for assistance between people from CALD backgrounds and the rest of community. Those people who mainly speak LOTE at home have a relatively higher level of need for assistance than those who speak mainly English at home.Conclusions: The paper reveals a substantial gap in specialist disability services between people from CALD and the broader community. This cannot be explained by the difference in the level of need for assistance between Australia-born and overseas-born populations, therefore raises some policy questions as to the barriers to the use of such services and how to effectively narrow the service access gap and improve utilisation rates.Implications for RehabilitationThe paper reveals a substantial accessibility gap in specialist disability services between people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and the broader community in Australia.Rehabilitation is a large component of disability services. Therefore, understanding the gap, promoting the awareness of the services, developing appropriate and effective services to respond the need of people with disability from CALD backgrounds, are critically important to rehabilitation services and related research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper we present a comparative analysis of out-of-home care in Australia and Sweden. We compare the age structure of the out-of-home care population and the types of out-of-home care services provided to children and young people in both countries. Our analysis reveals that in Australia the out-of-home care service system is focused mainly on children who are deemed to be abused or neglected within their families, while in Sweden the majority of the out-of-home care population are teenagers who cannot live with their families for emotional or behavioural reasons. These population differences intersect with variations in the forms of service provision in both countries, with a much greater reliance on home-based care in Australia than in Sweden, while there is more extensive use of residential care in Sweden. We envisage that this paper will demonstrate how the age structure of the out-of-home care population, though rarely considered in international comparative child welfare research, reveals much about the assumptions on which State intervention with children and young people is based. We intend that this analysis will assist social workers to better understand and address the gaps in the quality and comprehensiveness of out-of-home care service provision to children and young people in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this paper is to explore the limitations associated with a most similar case research design. It argues that by adopting a most similar case research design, comparative work on industrial relations reform in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980s and 1990s has systematically ignored important historical differences between the two countries, underestimated the similarities in recent reforms and privileged organizational and institutional explanations for changes in industrial relations systems, at the expense of those which are based on systemic factors and material interests. More generally, this paper argues that methodological choices have significant consequences for the types of explanations generated by comparative research and that more serious attention needs be given to the epistemological assumptions embedded in research designs that are taken up by industrial relations researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated housing is a disruptive innovation struggling to take hold in a traditional complex product system (CoPS). It is quicker to produce and has improved environmental performance compared to traditional housing. CoPS have more dense and complex network connections than commodity industries, making disruptive innovation more difficult. Effective relational capabilities can achieve the coordination necessary to address this challenge. The prefabricated housing industry needs to develop a structure that drives these capabilities. Using a case study methodology, the structure of the industry is examined in two contrasting countries, namely Australia and Sweden, as they represent an early and late stage of industry emergence, respectively. A new framework is proposed for this purpose, enabling a repeatable, orderly and comprehensive disaggregation of industry structure to examine the latent drivers of relational capability. The main empirical contribution is to (1) describe an industry that is yet to be formally recognized by national statistical agencies and (2) show how the adoption of prefabricated housing can be accelerated. The study found that younger industries need a focused industry association with diverse membership to act as an effective system integrator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, various forms of group work have been introduced in university courses across various subject domains, including construction management courses. Although the use of group work in higher education has sound pedagogical reasons and advantages, group work has its own drawbacks. Therefore, the acceptance by students and the success of group work critically depend on a fair and credible assessment of the group process. In this paper, the implementation of different approaches to peer assessment (PA) of individuals’ contributions to group projects in two core units in an undergraduate construction management course in an Australian university is reported. The effectiveness of the adopted PA approaches have been evaluated and validated by students. It has been found that contrary to doubts of the sufficiency of a simplistic approach to PAs, the fairness of a PA approach does not necessarily depend on its complexity. Besides, voluntary group discussions, learning and collaboration are found to aid in improving each of the group’s camaraderie. Hence, it is recommended that academics should develop both a structured methodology to progressively encourage group members to work cohesively in teams and effective PA approaches that measure individual member’s contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the results of the world's largest ever survey of international relations (IR) scholars with an eye to establishing the particularities of the discipline in Australia and New Zealand. The survey covered the areas of teaching, research, the structure of the profession and scholars' views on foreign policy. From these results, this paper compares IR in New Zealand and Australia, and discusses the extent to which the discipline in these two countries is distinctive from its overseas counterparts, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. The particular areas of focus include the degree to which the field in Australasia conforms to or differs from US or Commonwealth identities; epistemological and gender divides; the distinctive foci of what IR scholars in both countries teach and research; which publications are favoured and disfavoured; and the contrasting linkages between academia and the world of government and policy. We conclude with some suggestions about how the field in both countries might be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the mental health of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) often emphasises individual vulnerability to mental health issues. However, attitudes towards LGBT individuals may also contribute to their experiences of minority stress. In the present study, the relationship between mental health literacy (MHL) and attitudes towards LGBT individuals in Australia and India was investigated. Seven-hundred and eleven participants (355 male) from Australia (n = 303) and India (n = 408) completed an online survey which included questionnaires indexing the participants' MHL and their attitudes towards LGBT individuals. MHL was associated with attitude scores, such that participants with higher levels of MHL tended to report more positive attitudes towards LGBT individuals. These relationships were stronger for Australian participants compared to Indian participants. These findings suggest that minority stress may be intensified for LGBT individuals when the MHL of the people they interact with is low. Alternatively, MHL may signal how willing an individual is to offer mental health support to a LGBT person. The present results also highlight the influence of cultural context on MHL and the need to consider this when examining attitudes towards LGBT individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global food marketing environment becomes more competitive, marketers will need to devise mechanisms for understanding and mapping changes in consumers' food-related attitudes and behaviours. Such knowledge is paramount in developing and adjusting marketing strategies, building superior market-based assets, and creating a stronger consumer focus. Whilst it may be argued that food is a low-involvement product category, it can also be argued that the influence of personal and social values may not be limited to high involvement areas. It is further recognized that lifestyle is inextricably linked to values and the processes by which people seek to achieve their values through various modes of expression, including food. This research therefore employs the Food-Related Lifestyles (FRL) instrument developed by Grunert et al. (1993), which is rooted in the personal values concept, to compare lifestyles across a number of different cultural contexts including Australia, Singapore, Britain, France and Denmark. The research represents the first stage in an on-going process of mapping movements in Australian consumer food-related lifestyles and linking these to global trends and changes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In an era of globalization, internationalization of higher education (IHE) has been constructed as an almost inevitable trend and has become a common pursuit of many nations in their higher education (HE) policies. This study focuses on two nations, China and Australia, in terms of this trend. The broadest aim of this research was to find out the interactive relationships between global and national pressures in policy development by comparing the international HE policies in China and Australia, for the period 2008–2015. Based on selected policies, Similarities and differences in the three categories, overarching meta-policies at the macro level (nation), institution focused polices at the meso level (universities), and people focused policies at the micro level (individuals) are identified in this study. It is suggested that different responses to the global trends reflect the specificities of each nation and the ways path dependent factors mediate global pressures. This comparison will facilitate better understanding of how globalization has affected and been responded to in IHE policies, and enable better understanding of their path dependent mediation through a focus on two specific sets of national policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The aim of this research was to investigate awareness, perceived reliability and consideration of use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) among Australians of reproductive age.Methods: A sample of 18- to 50-year-old women and men (N = 2235) was randomly recruited from the Australian electoral roll in 2013. Respondents completed a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire. Data were weighted to reduce non-response bias. Factors associated with perceived reliability and consideration of use of LARC were identified in multivariable analyses.Results: Most respondents had heard of implants (76.5%) and intrauterine contraception (63.7%). However, most did not think implants (56.3%) or IUDs (63.9%) were reliable and would not consider using implants (71.6%) or IUDs (77.5%). Those significantly more likely to perceive LARC as reliable were younger, did not regard religion as important in fertility choices, had private health insurance, had been pregnant and had had an abortion; and women who had a partner. Those more likely to consider using LARC were younger and did not regard religion as important in fertility choices; women who had private health insurance, lived in an area of socioeconomic advantage and had had an abortion; and men without a partner, born in Australia and comfortable talking to a health care provider about contraceptive matters.Conclusions: Despite high awareness of LARC among Australian adults, its perceived reliability and willingness to use it remain low in certain groups. Targeted interventions that aim to increase knowledge of the benefits and reliability of LARC and allow informed use are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture, Health & Sexuality is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Following the rapid progression of Internet gambling, governments internationally are struggling to create and enact appropriate and effective regulations. A situation of inter-jurisdictional inconsistency exists and regulatory frameworks are constantly changing, with international policies of prohibition, legalization or partial legalization, or imprecise legal limbo. The ambiguity of the current situation and questionable effectiveness of policies in place makes it difficult for gambling operators, treatment providers, players and other stakeholders to formulate appropriate responses to online gambling. This article aims to bring some clarity and offer guidance for the effective implementation of gambling policy by examining the comparative evolution of Internet gambling in Australia and Canada, and the respective social, legal, economic and political responses. The differences in the development of online gambling highlight the unique paths possible, yet the similarities between these jurisdictions provide key examples of how policymakers, gambling operators, researchers and consumers can respond to this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: To compare rates of past reported traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a prisoner sample with those in a control group drawn from the same location of usual residence. Method: The prisoner group comprised a consecutive sample of men ( n = 200) received into custody and screened by face-to-face interview. The control group comprised men ( n = 200) matched for location of usual residence screened by telephone interview. Participants were asked about past TBIs and screened for drug and alcohol abuse, impulsivity and dissocial personality disorder. Results: Eighty-two per cent of prisoners and 71.5% of community participants reported at least one past TBI of any severity (i.e. with or without a loss of consciousness (LOC)) and 64.5% of prisoners and 32.2% of community participants reported at least one TBI associated with a LOC. Prisoners were more likely to report persisting side-effects of TBI and were much more likely to screen positive for impulsivity and dissocial personality disorder. Multivariate analyses found no significant association between TBI frequency or severity and custody/community group membership. Conclusions: High reported rates of TBI in prisoner populations may reflect the excess of socio-demographic risk factors for TBI. Results of the current study do not support a role for TBI as causally related to criminal conduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines whether the later development of awareness of gender issues in Hong Kong compared to Australia is reflected in patterns of gender representation in the English language textbooks published in these two places. A comparison of 10 currently-used Australian books with 10 Hong Kong books revealed that such awareness has impacted most on the use of gender-inclusive terms and symmetrical phrases in both places. The Australian writers tended to use generic they while their Hong Kong counterparts preferred either the coordination he or she or 'generic' he. Both sets of writers maintained the convention of male-first presentation, depicted women in a more limited range of social roles, and presented stereotyped images of women as weaker and more passive than men, and as operating primarily within domestic domains. The visual representations also reinforced traditional gendered roles. Hong Kong textbook writers, nevertheless, paid more heed to the inclusion of females visually. Controversy persists over whether textbook writers should reflect reality or whether they should lead social change and strive for gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussion of the role of migrant care workers in long-term care (LTC) that has gained increasing attention in the United States and other developed countries in recent years is of particular relevance to Australia, where 24% of the total population is overseas-born, two-thirds of them coming from countries where English is not the primary language. Issues of interest arise regarding meeting LTC workforce demands in general and responding to the particular cultural and linguistic needs of postwar immigrants who are now reaching old age in increasing numbers. This review begins with an account of the overseas-born components of the aged care workforce and then examines this representation with reference to the four factors identified as shaping international flows of care workers in the comparative study carried out for the AARP Public Policy Institute in 2005: migration policies, LTC financing arrangements, worker recruitment and training, and credentialing. The ways in which these factors play out in Australia mean that while overseas-born workers are overrepresented in the LTC workforce, migrant care workers are not identifiable as a marginalized group experiencing disadvantage in employment conditions, nor do they offer a solution to workforce shortages. The Australian experience is different from those of other countries in many respects, but it does show that the experience of migrant care workers is not unique to LTC and points to the need to extend the search for solutions to workforce shortages and improving conditions of all care workers well beyond LTC systems to wider policy settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]