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Abstract Computer modelling and design tools can assist in environmental management. In particular, post-mining landscapes with large volumes of materials require shaping for optimal erosional stability and ecological and visual integration into the surrounding undisturbed landscape. This paper evaluates the complementary capabilities of landscape evolution modelling (SIBERIA) and geomorphic design software (Natural Regrade with GeoFluv). An existing 11.5-ha waste rock dump (Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia) served as the study site. The SIBERIA modelling demonstrated that geomorphic design reduced erosion by half that of conventional designs while being able to store an extra 7% of mine waste volume. Additionally, the spatial pattern of gullying was able to be predicted by modelling, which allowed management in subsequent geomorphic design, and successively more stable patterns. In conclusion, the joint use of the Natural Regrade with GeoFluv geomorphic design software with the SIBERIA landscape evolution model showed complementary capabilities for enhancing mine rehabilitation. Highlights • Computer models and modelling design greatly improve mine site rehabilitation. • We demonstrate the SIBERIA and Natural Regrade with GeoFluv software. • The complementary tools reduce erosion yet can increase landscape volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predator's management requires a detailed understanding of the ecological circumstances associated with predation. Predation by foxes has been a significant contributor to the Australian native animal reduction. This paper mainly focuses on the dissemination of rabbit hemorrhagic disease in the rabbit population and its subsequences on red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) population, by qualitative and quantitative analyses of a designed eco-epidemiological model with simple law of mass action and sigmoid functional response. Existence of solution has been analyzed and shown to be uniformly bounded. The basic reproduction number ( R 0 ) is obtained and the occurrence of a backward bifurcation at R 0 = 1 is shown to be possible using central manifold theory. Global stability of endemic equilibrium is established by geometric approach. Criteria for diffusion-driven ecological instability caused by local random movements of European rabbits and red fox are obtained. Detailed analyses of Turing patterns formation selected by reaction-diffusion system under zero flux boundary conditions are presented. We found that transmission rate, self and cross-diffusion coefficients have appreciable influence on spatial spread of epidemics. Numerical simulation results confirm the analytical finding and generate patterns which indicate that population of red foxes might be controlled if rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is introduced into the rabbit population and thus ecological balance can be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market share of Electric Vehicles (EVs), an attractive alternative to conventional vehicles, is expected to exceed 30% of all vehicles by 2033 in Australia. Although the expected EV uptake may place greater burdens on electricity networks, the potential impacts contributed by different EV user categories and vehicle models to peak loads at different times during the day are not well understood. This paper addresses the issue through statistical analysis of the charge events in the Victorian EV Trial in Australia as well as modeling the charging behaviors according to participant categories and vehicle models. The analysis was performed on 4933 charge events that were recorded by both private and public Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. In total, these events consumed over 33 MW h of energy over 12,170 h by the 178 trial participants, out of which about 70% were household participants while the others were fleet participants. Based on a range of EV uptake scenarios and modeled charging behaviors from the trial, the power demand in the summer of 2032/33 was estimated for all of Victoria. The results of the simulations show that the broad scale uptake of EVs produces a relatively small increase in overall power demand (estimated to be between 5.72% and 9.79% in 2032/33). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents an integrated life cycle framework developed by combining life cycle modelling with building energy efficiency simulation software. A framework comprising of four life cycle stages was developed. This was applied to eight residential heritage buildings in Victoria, Australia. Buildings with different envelopes, structural framework, construction, age and climatic locations were evaluated and their attendant potential life cycle primary energy consumption and life cycle environmental emissions/impacts were assessed. The study also investigated different intervention strategies and recommends strategies that facilitate the highest reduction in life cycle primary energy consumption. The research found that overall, lower life cycle primary energy consumption does not necessarily lead to lower carbon emissions as carbon reduction depend on a combination of primary energy consumption, magnitude of heating and cooling, fuel mix profile and efficiency of the conventional grid. While the common perception is that old buildings often perform badly in terms of energy conservation, the relatively higher rating for some buildings found in this study shows that this is not always the case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Yield plays a central role in the processes, practices, management and operation of urban water supply systems. Improved accuracy of the yield estimate is important and can be obtained by improving knowledge of important variables. Yield is typically estimated via computational simulation using the entire sequence of available historic climate data. Sensitivity analysis provides a framework and many techniques that can identify important variables in a computational model. Using the Morris method, this paper investigates the importance of input variables used in the estimation of yield of urban water supply systems. The Barwon urban water supply system in Australia is used as the case study. Using a number of climate scenarios of various lengths, sensitivity analysis showed that the security criteria of the Barwon system was the most important to the yield estimate. The upper restriction rule curve also showed notable importance. Significantly the results showed that the use of a single climate sequence for estimating yield would produce misrepresentative results for another climate scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper presents the results of computer simulations of runoff from 13 major fresh and brackish river basins in south-western Australia (SWA) under climate projections obtained from 15 GCMs with three future global warming scenarios equivalent to global temperature rises of 0.7°C, 1.0°C and 1.3°C by 2030. The objective was to apply an efficient methodology, consistent across a large region, to examine the implications of the best available projections in climate trends for future surface water resources. An ensemble of rainfall-runoff models was calibrated on stream flow data from 1975 to 2007 from 106 gauged catchments distributed throughout the basins of the study area. The sensitivity of runoff to projected changes in mean annual rainfall is examined using the climate ‘elasticity’ concept. Averaged across the study area, all 15 GCMs project declines in rainfall under all global warming scenarios with a median decline of 8% resulting in a median decline in runoff of 25%. Such uniformity in projections from GCMs is unusual. Over SWA the average annual runoff under the 5th wettest and 5th driest of the 45 projections of the 2030 climate declines by 10 and 42%, respectively. Under the 5th driest projection the runoff decline ranges from 53% in the northern region to 40% in the southern region. Strong regional variations in climate sensitivity are found with the proportional decline in runoff greatest in the northern region and the greatest volumetric declines in the wetter basins in the south. Since the mid 1970s stream flows into the major water supply reservoirs in SWA have declined by more than 50% following a 16% rainfall reduction. This has already had major implications for water resources planning and for the preservation of aquatic and riparian ecosystems in the region. Our results indicate that this reduction in runoff is likely to continue if future climate projections eventuate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proximity to public open space, such as parks and other green spaces, has considerable health benefits, and people have been shown to be more likely to use such space for physical activity if it is of high quality. This paper describes a new remote-assessment approach that makes use of Google Earth Pro (the free version of this program is Google Earth) to provide rapid and inexpensive measurement of the quality of public open space. Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between assessments of the quality of public open space using (1) the remote method (making use of Google Earth Pro) and (2) direct observation with a well-established measure of quality, the Public Open Space Tool (POST). Methods: Fifty parks selected from the southwest part of Sydney, Australia, were assessed in 2009 with the remote method (using Google Earth Pro), and scores were compared with those obtained from direct observation of the same parks using POST. The time taken to conduct the assessments using each method was also recorded. Raters for each method were blind to scores obtained from using the other method. Analyses were conducted in 2009. Results: The Spearman correlation coefficient between the quality scores obtained for the 50 parks using the remote method and direct observation was 0.9 (p<0.0001). The remote method took 4 hours, whereas direct observation took 42 hours, showing the remote method to be much faster and more resource efficient for the measurement of the quality of physical activity–related environments. Conclusions: The remote-assessment method provides, for the first time, the capacity to assess the quality of large numbers of parks and other green spaces without the need for in-person visits, dramatically reducing the time required for environmental audits of public open space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]