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In 2001, a study into issues of concern to assistant-in-nursing, registered and enrolled nurse members of the Queensland Nurses Union was undertaken. Approximately equal numbers of nurses from each of the aged care, acute private and acute public sectors were surveyed. Overall, 1477 nurses responded, representing a response rate of 53%. This article focuses on one aspect of the study—the perceived adequacy of support offered to new nursing graduates as they exit university and begin their transition into the workplace. In particular, responses from nurses are compared with professional level or current role designation, age, time spent in the workplace and health sector. Considerable divergence of opinion among the respondents, particularly across designation, age and years of experience, was found within the three sectors. For example, in the public and private employment sectors, older and more experienced nurses were more likely to perceive the support for new nurses as adequate compared to younger and less experienced nurses. Additionally, in the acute private sector, the more senior the nurse the more likely the perception that there was adequate preparation for new graduates entering the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the concept of 'place' could be integrated in the regeneration process for the industrial suburb of Salisbury in Queensland, Australia and how the three Bs can be used as a framework to study the evolution and the possible futures of the suburb. The paper draws on data collected from interviews with stakeholders as well as the outcomes of a Design Studio course as well as a panel organized for a University of Queensland event on placemaking in 2018 as a practical way of exploring potential scenarios for place-based regeneration of the suburb. The aim of the paper is both to understand the current transformation process of this suburb and to develop recommendations for a regeneration process integrating the concept of 'place' in the South East Queensland (SEQ) context where regeneration principles are not well integrated into local plans for the suburb of Salisbury. The paper highlights two conflicting views about the regeneration process and placemaking. The conclusion outlines recommendations to promote a regeneration process that could be adapted for both the Salisbury and the greyfields context for South East Queensland and would reconcile the two visions of what the regeneration of Salisbury should be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of language education in Australia has long been described as paradoxical. Oscillating between periods of increased attention and seeming invisibility, over the last thirty years, the language learning sector has been punctuated by a succession of aspirational declarations and funding injections with little long-term impact on its overall standing. Despite the increasingly multilingual makeup of Australian society, language education at all levels has largely remained stuck amidst monolingualising education policies and alarmist discourses. The latest instance of this paradoxical condition is a fee-reduction incentive for university students to study a language, which, in practice, stands to further weaken the language offerings in many Higher Education institutions. In this paper, we use the imagery of circularities and ripples to explore the challenges facing language education across sectors in Australia. Through data collected in Queensland secondary schools, we discuss how these challenges transcend the traditional delineation of macro-, meso-, and micro-levels of language policy and planning. We argue that challenges go both in circles within the same level (circularity) and flow outwards to other levels (ripples), which include Higher Education. For this reason, siloed approaches to funding and scholarly research contribute to a wicked state of inertia and, ultimately, diminish opportunities to break free from these cycles in the future. We conclude by acknowledging our complicit roles and ethical responsibilities as Higher Education scholars in the perpetuation of these cycles, as but a first step in engaging productively with the possibilities of leveraging these rippling circularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this guest editor's introduction to this thematic volume on the historical archaeology of Queensland, Australia, I briefly discuss some of the history and archaeology of Queensland in light of some of the major themes currently being investigated. The papers presented in this volume are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the strategic interests that inform deforestation policies in Australia, and the variance in policy selections over time. A theory of deliberate policy disproportionality is used to analyse 20 years of regulatory reform in Queensland, focusing on the Vegetation Management Act (VMA) 1999. Application of the framework to this case suggests that political executives were prone to deliberately adopt (dis)proportionate policies as a strategic response to either manage or capitalise on stakeholder support or opposition to any proposed legislative change. The high variance in (dis)proportionate deforestation policies is attributed to how political executives respond to claims made by competing constituencies regarding the costs versus benefits of successive reforms. During key reform phases, policy under‐reaction was the norm, and political executives intentionally limited the scope and effectiveness of the VMA 1999 due to perceived impacts on the agricultural sector. Political executives were highly responsive to the emotional investment of rural constituents and averse to introducing policies that required difficult trade‐offs. Elections offered strategic opportunities for delivering more proportionate policies that balanced public environmental benefits with economic impacts, as evidenced by a conditional deforestation ban introduced between 2004 and 2012 and reinstated in 2018. Points for practitioners: Variance in Queensland's deforestation policy over time can be attributed to the intentional decisions by political executives to limit or expand the scope of regulations as a strategic response to stakeholder expectations.Political executives were responsive to the costs versus environmental impacts/benefits of any deforestation reforms, but prone to policy under‐reaction when the priority was managing the emotive reactions from rural constituencies.More proportionate regulations, such as the partial deforestation ban of 2004, aimed to balance environmental benefits with compensation for landholders but were only implemented when electorally beneficial.Stakeholders have a significant influence on disproportionate deforestation policy design and governments will need to manage competing claims to deliver more durable policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tourism Geographies 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.)

Background: This paper examines the exclusion of public health from social license narratives within an increasingly financialised food system, through a case study of foreign ownership in the Australian sugar industry. As finance actors such as asset management firms, pension funds, private equity funds, state owned enterprises and sovereign wealth funds engage in speculative farmland investment, commodity futures trading, and the conversion of farmland into a financial asset, power within agro-industrial food supply chains becomes increasingly concentrated. This has been associated with increased food prices and more processed food, contributing to obesogenic diets, hunger, and poorer health outcomes for many. The potential for negative social and environmental impacts has prompted awareness of the need for financial actors to demonstrate sustainability, responsibility and accountability in their farmland investments. Methods: This paper uses thematic analysis of qualitative interviews and key documents to assess four recent acquisitions of sugarcane land in North Queensland. We consider how companies' efforts to establish or maintain a social license to operate (SLO) intersect with their capital accumulation strategies. Results: Our findings demonstrate that the link between the commodification of 'unhealthy' food inputs (such as sugar) and financialisation remains outside the purview of financiers. Instead, agribusiness firms use narratives centred on biofuels investment and energy/food security to justify their legitimacy in the sugar sector. We organise our findings according to two 'narratives:' constructing trust and credibility through ethical compliance; and, biofuels expansion as a legitimate response to climate change. The concept of social license is much stronger in the second narrative, but health is largely missing. Conclusion: The 'distancing' between responsibility and health outcomes highlights the limits to principles of responsible financial investment, and to the legitimacy of finance to claim an SLO -- the ongoing approval and acceptance by society to conduct its activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many parts of the world, policymakers, legislators, marine managers, and indigenous peoples have attempted to reconcile marine protected area (MPA) governance and management with indigenous peoples' ancient and ongoing traditional ownership of coastal and marine environments. This paper describes a novel approach in Australia to addressing this challenge through indigenous‐led planning and collaborative governance of holistic coastal land and sea indigenous protected areas (IPAs) based on the indigenous concept of "Country"—traditional land and sea estates and their associated cultural, environmental, and other values.To provide context to this approach, the paper explains the concept of "Sea Country" and provides an overview of the relationship between indigenous peoples and Australia's coastal and marine environments, the legal and policy recognition of Indigenous Sea Country rights and interests, and the engagement of indigenous people in the governance and management of government‐led, legislated MPAs in Australia.The paper then describes the evolution of IPAs from being specifically based on indigenous land tenure to being based more generally on Indigenous Country, across multiple tenures, including marine areas. In recent years, IPAs based on Country have enabled indigenous people to lead planning and governance of land and sea areas over which they have limited legal rights, including over existing national parks and marine parks. Using this approach, some IPAs complement existing protected area governance and management arrangements, whereas elsewhere Country‐based IPAs are adding significantly to Australia's MPA estate. The Dhimurru IPA in the Northern Territory and Girringun Region IPAs in Queensland are presented as examples of this Country‐based approach.This indigenous‐driven, collaborative, nonlegislative approach to dedicating, governing and managing coastal areas and MPAs may serve as a model in other nation states for indigenous people wishing to use a protected area governance framework to support the contemporary management of their traditional marine and coastal estates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the results of research into the trends and nature of coverage of climate change issues in the Australian print media over the past ten years. Studies were undertaken at national, state and local levels, with a focus on Queensland (state) and the Townsville region (local) in northeastern Australia. At a national level there has been an almost exponential increase in coverage, with a decrease in the past year. Issues which have caused media coverage levels to surge are identified, showing a shift from international events/meetings to domestic policy issues as triggers. Interviews were conducted with decision-makers in print media to explore publication mechanisms. This is part of a wider study examining media coverage, public perception, and political/policy activities to inform judgement as to the likelihood of sustained levels of discussion and action on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platform‐mediated short‐term rentals (STRs) are a relatively new addition to the housing landscape, providing accommodation on a temporal scale that falls between hotel stays and long‐term rentals (LTRs). Given the potential for STR hosts to charge significantly higher nightly rates for the same property than they might through an LTR lease enumerated in months or years, many have asked whether a 'gap' exists between the two, and how persistent this may be over space and time. In this paper, we modify and validate classical bid–rent theory to investigate spatial variation in the rent gap between STRs and LTRs over time in two distinct contexts in Queensland, Australia. We conduct statistical analyses on STR data against LTR data from local property records in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, identifying a significant rent gap, particularly close to high‐amenity areas. We find strong evidence of distance decay in the rent gap, with rents converging with increasing distance in most cases, indicating that STRs only 'outcompete' LTRs near high‐amenity areas, which in this analysis are the central business districts (Brisbane) and the beach (Sunshine Coast). We also find that the rent gap increases as properties get larger in size, and over time. These findings carry implications for policy aiming to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders and political agendas against planning frameworks prescribing where short‐term accommodation is best situated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The harmful use of alcohol is a global issue. This study aimed to describe and compare the profiles, emergency department (ED) clinical characteristics, and outcomes of alcohol-related ED presentations (ARPs) and non-alcohol-related ED presentations (NARPs). Methods: A multi-site observational study of all presentations to four EDs between 4 April 2016 and 31 August 2017, was conducted. Routinely collected ED clinical, administrative and costings data were used. Classification of ARPs were prospectively recorded by clinicians. Analysis was performed at the presentation, rather than person level. Univariate tests were undertaken to compare demographics, ED clinical characteristics and outcomes between ARPs and NARPs. Results: A total of 418 051 ED presentations occurred within the 17-month study period; 5% (n = 19 875) were ARPs. Presentations made by people classified as ARPs were younger, more likely to be male, present on weekends or at night, and arrive by ambulance or police compared to NARPs. Compared with NARPs, ARPs had a longer median ED length of stay of over 20 min (95% CI 18–22, median 196 min vs 177 min, P < 0.001), a 5.5% (95% CI 4.9–5.3) lower admission rate (36% vs 42%, P < 0.001), and a AUD69 (95% CI 64–75) more expensive ED episode-of-care (AUD689 vs AUD622, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Clinically meaningful differences were noted between alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related ED presentations. The higher cost of care for ARPs likely reflects their longer time in the ED. The healthcare and economic implications of incidents of alcohol-related harm extend beyond the ED, with ARPs having higher rates of ambulance and police use than NARPs. What is known about the topic? The harmful use of alcohol is a major health issue globally contributing to morbidity and mortality. What does this paper add? The demographic profile, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of people presenting to emergency departments with alcohol-related harm differ to people arriving for other reasons. What are the implications for practitioners? Indicating alcohol as a cause of an ED presentation, as standard practice, may foster quality assurance/improvement activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of a university-wide deposit mandate on the self-archiving practices of academics and to show how a mandate can make a positive difference. Design/methodology/approach — The paper explains the genesis of the eprints mandate at QUT and outlines the response of the academics to the endorsement of the policy. The implementation of the mandate is then examined in detail, including discussion and evaluation of specific implementation strategies and practices. Findings — The experience of Queensland University of Technology suggests that a university-wide eprints mandate definitely increases the rate of self-archiving. Cultural and organisation change takes time, even with a mandate. Advocacy initiatives and implementation strategies have to be aligned with current skills and needs of the researchers. For a self-deposit system to be successful, the barriers need to be as low as possible. Originality/value — Institutional repository administrators should consider creating a scaffolded deposit system that is fast, intuitive and requires only basic technology skills. The efforts of early adopters should be recognised as publicly as possible. Evidence of success is the best form of persuasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary school educators in Australia are often uncertain about parents' perspectives when it comes to teaching about relationships and sexuality education in schools. Teachers, school leaders, parents and the broader community continue to struggle with the best way to educate children about the many topics that fall under the banner of relationships and sexuality education. This paper explores the perspectives of primary school parents in Queensland, Australia adding to the growing body of research in internationally about parents' perspectives on relationships and sexuality education in primary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has evolved as an environmental management and sustainability tool. Despite common principles shared by EIA globally, there are considerable variations in EIA processes across countries. In this paper, we reviewed and compared EIA processes of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal considering five key steps (selection of consultants, report preparation, public participation, report review and approval, and monitoring and evaluations) of EIA. Our review indicated that the EIA is well recognised in legal instruments in all state and countries under consideration and there are both similarities and differences in key steps of EIA. Monitoring of EIA recommendations and the integration of feedbacks from the past and current practices are important in improving EIA processes. This study also found that there are elements for possible improvement in existing EIA processes by each state and country introducing the best practices from others' EIA system. Some of the practices that Nepal can follow from the EIA processes of Queensland and China are licensing and accreditation of individuals and firms to conduct EIA, establishment of separate monitoring unit within regulating department, development of clear guidelines for approvals and monitoring, and the use of independent third-party auditing in EIA monitoring. The findings of this paper are useful in revising and improving EIA policies, practices and processes in the selected state, countries and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in Australia. Longitudinal record linkage studies have the potency to influence clinical decision making to improve cardiac health. This paper describes the baseline characteristics of the Queensland Cardiac Record Linkage Cohort study (QCard). Methods: International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) diagnosis codes were used to identify CVD and comorbidities. Cost and adverse health outcomes (e.g., comorbidities, hospital-acquired complications) were compared between first-time and recurrent admissions. Descriptive statistics and standard tests were used to analyse the baseline data. Results: There were 132,343 patients with hospitalisations in 2010, of which 47% were recurrent admissions, and 53% were males. There were systematic differences between characteristics of recurrent and first-time hospitalisations. Patients with recurrent episodes were nine years older (70 vs. 61; p < 0.001) and experienced a twice higher risk of multiple comorbidities (3.17 vs. 1.59; p < 0.001). CVD index hospitalisations were concentrated in large metropolitan hospitals. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that linked administrative health data provide an effective tool to investigate factors determining the progress of heart disease. Our main finding suggests that recurrent admissions were associated with higher hospital costs and a higher risk of having adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal disposal of waste is a significant management issue for contemporary governments with waste posing an economic, social, and environmental risk. An improved understanding of the distribution of illegal waste disposal sites is critical to enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of waste management efforts. Remotely sensed data has the potential to address this knowledge gap. However, the literature regarding the use of remote sensing to map illegal waste disposal sites is incomplete. This paper aims to analyze existing remote sensing methods and sensors used to monitor and map illegal waste disposal sites. The purpose of this paper is to support the evaluation of existing remote sensing methods for mapping illegal domestic waste sites in Queensland, Australia. Recent advances in technology and the acquisition of very high-resolution remote sensing imagery provide an important opportunity to (1) revisit established analysis techniques for identifying illegal waste disposal sites, (2) examine the applicability of different remote sensors for illegal waste disposal detection, and (3) identify opportunities for future research to increase the accuracy of any illegal waste disposal mapping products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the current Australian policy environment for delivering affordable housing in urban renewal contexts. An increasing shift towards infill development, coupled with a decreasing provision of government-owned social housing, is placing severe pressure on housing affordability. The cumulative effect is to create the need for governments to intervene on urban renewal projects to ensure that affordable housing options are delivered as a part of any new development. Three different approaches to planning for affordable housing in three states are examined: the former Urban Land Development Authority in Queensland, the 15% inclusionary zoning requirement in South Australia and the Affordable Rental Housing State Environmental Planning Policy in New South Wales. Despite significant differences between these approaches, a number of potential roles emerge for government to support delivery of affordable housing by market and not-for-profit housing providers, without adversely affecting development viability. These roles are as theland facilitator, educator, risk taker, subsidiser and long-term planner. Given that one aim of current policy directions is to reduce the role of government in delivering housing and urban growth, the paper concludes by considering the extent to which the approaches across the three states studied can be considered successful. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the role of interstitial space and everyday housing practices at the domestic scale. Interstitial space is often framed as “empty” or “in-between” space located in the shadows of conventional built form and everyday practices. In this paper, we focus on interstitial space as a site of often undervalued or taken-for-granted housing possibility. We begin the paper by outlining the contours of interstitial space as a theoretical concept before highlighting two cross-cultural examples of domestic housing storage practices within the Australian context: (1) “under the house” in the Queensland vernacular and (2) “close to the wind-break” in a remote Aboriginal community in the centre of Australia. We conclude by drawing attention to the importance of interstitial spatial practices for housing theory and practice and offer suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dwellings become home through the social, emotional and psychological meanings that dwellers attach to them. These meanings often revolve around home as a haven, a site of autonomy and a vehicle for the expression of social status. Yet, homes can also be unmade, not only through external acts of 'domicide', but also through networks of local social relations in which homes are embedded, such as those with neighbours. This paper explores the role of "unneighbourliness" in home unmaking as recounted by clients of neighbourhood mediation services in Queensland, Australia. It shows that disputes with neighbours can undermine one's sense of home as haven, autonomy and status. But it also reveals how home (un)making occurs as a dialectic in the context of physical proximity and shared boundaries between residential dwellings where the homemaking practices of one neighbour spill over into, and impede, the sense of home of another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definitions of clinical governance are varied and there is no one agreed model. This paper explored the perspectives of rural and remote primary healthcare services, located in North Queensland, Australia, on the meaning and goals of clinical governance. The study followed an embedded multiple case study design with semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observation. Participants included clinicians, non-clinical support staff, managers and executives. Similarities and differences in the understanding of clinical governance between health centre and committee case studies were evident. Almost one-third of participants were unfamiliar with the term or were unsure of its meaning; alongside limited documentation of a definition. Although most cases linked the concept of clinical governance to key terms, many lacked a comprehensive understanding. Similarities between cases included viewing clinical governance as a management and administrative function. Differences included committee members' alignment of clinical governance with corporate governance and frontline staff associating clinical governance with staff safety. Document analysis offered further insight into these perspectives. Clinical governance is well-documented as an expected organisational requirement, including in rural and remote areas where geographic, workforce and demographic factors pose additional challenges to quality and safety. However, in reality, it is not clearly, similarly or comprehensively understood by all participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the coal seam gas industry in Australia has led to the extraction of large volumes of relatively salty groundwater. Once treated, this coal seam water (CSW) is being made available for irrigation and it is an opportunity for landholders to increase the level and reliability of their agricultural production. This paper reviews the use of CSW and approaches to sustainable agriculture. The review suggests that, barring technical and economic constraints, re-injection of treated CSW into stressed agricultural aquifers may provide more equitable access to water and broader economic benefits than current location-specific irrigation schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With long colonial histories, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia experience lower life expectancy and a higher burden of illness. To this day, Indigenous Peoples experience interpersonal, systemic, and institutional racism in the mainstream public health system of Australia, leading to the underuse of mainstream health services and resulting in many Indigenous Australians living in a state of persistent crisis. Extreme and unacceptable levels of institutional racism have been identified in the hospitals and health services of Queensland, Australia, using the Marrie Institutional Racism Matrix (MIRM), an evidence-based assessment tool for identifying, measuring, and monitoring racism in institutional settings. This paper aims to identify ways to address institutional racism against Indigenous Peoples in the health care sector. Specifically, using publicly available documents, a case study analysis of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), a network of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, is conducted using the MIRM as a guide. The conclusion is that the IUIH actively works to address institutional racism by (a) including Indigenous people in key decision-making processes and structures; (b) undertaking numerous community engagement strategies; (c) building partnerships within and outside the health sector to address the social determinants of health; and (d) working in ways that align with Indigenous ways of being and doing. It is argued that mainstream health services need to be aware of institutional racism and learn from the approaches of Indigenous-led organizations to create institutions that are inclusive of Indigenous members of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluntary assisted dying laws have now been enacted in all six Australian States with reform being considered in the remaining two. While there is an emerging body of literature examining various aspects of regulation, there has been scant consideration of what these reforms mean for First Nations peoples, and to what extent their experiences have been considered in the process of developing legislation. This article provides a critical analysis of how Indigenous perspectives both contributed to, and were engaged with, during the law reform processes in Victoria and Western Australia, the first two States to grapple with this topic. Findings reveal the sophistication in how Indigenous organisations and individuals engaged with this issue and highlight the critical importance of not universalising Indigenous perspectives. Significantly, there was much greater engagement with Indigenous views in Western Australia than in Victoria. We conclude by considering how Indigenous voices can meaningfully influence Australian law reform processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Support workers who provide in-home support to people with psychiatric disability are becoming a significant part of the mental health workforce. Research is needed to establish the optimum level and content of training they need to effectively carry out their role. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports on this paper is to draw on the results of a survey of 104 support workers and interviews with 18 support workers and eight managers in Queensland, Australia, who provide in-home support for people with psychiatric disability. The authors describe the training undertaken by these workers and their perceptions of the adequacy of this training in relation to the challenges of their work. Findings – The majority of support workers felt they had adequate training, though many expressed the desire to know more about mental illness symptoms, medications and the concept of recovery. Support workers nominated motivating their clients and managing challenging behaviour as the most difficult aspect of the job. Future training offered to these workers needs to focus on increasing knowledge about mental illness and the concept of recovery, and supporting them in their work with clients who have low levels of motivation and/or challenging behaviours. Access to professional supervision may also be of benefit. Originality/value – This paper adds to knowledge about the training needs of support workers who provide in-home support to people with psychiatric disability. These findings will be useful for practitioners and decision makers who are considering the training needs of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper, community-held archival material was used to evaluate the palaeo-biology of dinosaur track-makers from the 'fireclay caverns' of Mount Morgan. With the ensuing interest, community members disclosed additional photographic documentation of Mount Morgan dinosaur tracks. The described theropodan and ornithischian tracks are consistent with the known Mount Morgan ichnofaunal record, while evidence of Anomoepus track-makers walking with the atypical plantigrade pedal posture has not been previously documented in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In conducting a literature review of "state significance" and its meaning in the Australian context, this paper examines the relevant legislative framework under which it operates, with a focus on Queensland. In the process a number of examples in relation to large infrastructure projects are provided. The purpose of the paper is to identify any gaps or issues in relation to state significant projects – particularly that related to definitional matters – and to investigate the consequences of any discretion this gap provides to government, including any impact on their decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the impact of relevant legislative instruments. The Australian state of Queensland is used as a case study example, highlighting – in the case of a declared "significant project" – streamlined environmental impact assessment processes that potentially circumvent certain legislative planning provisions. By way of contrast, smaller, extractive resource projects considered to be of State or regional significance may be designated a "Key Resource Area", however they remain subject to normal assessment processes under the Integrated Development Assessment System, vegetation management codes, and other regulations. Findings – This paper argues for a streamlining of the assessment process in order to minimise constraints acting on state development, in concert with a tightening and clarification of "state significance" definitions – without abrogation of state to federal jurisdiction. The existence of a strategic threat to the delivery of an already over-stretched infrastructure program is also questioned. Originality/value – The various meanings of "state significance", especially in Queensland, and the ramifications for development projects in that state are explored. Various challenges are thus presented to public policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Landfill capping is a mandatory post closure procedure in Australia to isolate the deposited wastes from the outside environment, mainly water. Compacted clay caps are predominantly used in Australian landfills. Recent studies have shown that clay caps have shorter life span and fail to prevent percolation of water due to cracking. This paper aims to discuss a new technology called "Phytocapping" that has been trialled at Lakes Creek landfill in Rockhampton. Design/methodology/approach - In this technique, trees were used as "bio-pumps" and "rainfall interceptors" and soil cover as "storage" of water. The field performance of the phytocapping system was measured based on its ability to minimise water percolation into waste. Tree growth, transpiration, canopy rainfall interception and methane emission were monitored over three years. The percolation rate was modelled using HYDRUS 1D code for two different scenarios (with and without vegetation) for the thick (1,400mm soil) and thin (700mm soil) phytocaps respectively. Findings - Results from the modelling showed percolation rates of 16.7mm yr-1 in thick phytocap and 23.8mm yr-1 in thin phytocap, both of which are markedly lower than those expected from a clay cap. Results from monitoring and observations showed that 19 of 21 tree species grew well in the harsh landfill environment. However, the correct species selection is very important for the long-term sustainability of the phytocap. Results also show that phytocaps can reduce a significant amount of methane emission from landfills. Practical implications - The cost of landfill capping is escalating and is putting a lot of financial and legal pressure on the small and medium sized local governments in Australia. The phytocapping technique not only offers financial benefits but also has some environmental and commercial benefits. Originality/value - The paper focuses on a new technology being used in waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Vehicle crashes in work zones are significantly underreported in official crash datasets of many countries, including Australia. This leads to underestimations of work zone crash frequencies and limited understanding of crash causation factors. To address this important gap in the literature, this paper examines historical data from two different sources - police-reported crash data and organizational Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) records - to understand work zone crashes and their characteristics in Queensland, Australia.Methods: WHS data including text fields were cleaned and coded to match police-reported crash data variables for comparative descriptive analysis of a 45-month period. involvement of a moving vehicle that collided with another vehicle, pedestrian, object, or overturned, at a work zone accessible to public traffic.Results: There were more work zone crashes in the WHS data (N = 820) than the police-reported data (N = 128) and the WHS data offered a deeper understanding of incident causes due to the greater breadth of information available. The two data sets varied in terms of the patterns of crash type, the mixes of road users and vehicles involved, and the contributing factors that were identified, highlighting dangers of relying on single sources for understanding crash characteristics. The WHS data appear relatively consistent with the overall work zone safety literature, but their use has limitations regarding processing and reliability. Conversely, police-reported crash data can be analyzed efficiently but they suffer from underreporting and selective reporting.Conclusions: The WHS dataset is a valuable alternative to police-reported crash data for understanding vehicle crash characteristics in work zones, particularly where restrictive reporting criteria lead to inability to identify these crashes in police data. Reliability and utility of WHS data could be improved through advanced reporting systems and procedures, potentially including development of an app-based system for use on mobile electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Background: The present paper represented the third installment on the monogenoidean parasites collected during a workshop exploring the diversity of the parasites of fishes in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Previous reports on monogenoids collected during the workshop included species parasitizing beloniform and gerreid fishes. Purpose: During January 2016, the author, having responsibility for the identification and description of monogenoids, participated in a workshop supported by an Australian Biological Resources Study Grant to Drs. Thomas Cribb and Scott Cutmore, University of Queensland, to explore the diversity of parasites infecting the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Methods: Approximately 100 species of marine fishes were necropsied for parasites. Standard procedures for collecting, mounting, drawing, and measuring of monogenoids were employed. Results: A new species of Euryhaliotrema was collected and described from the silver moony Monodactylus argenteus (Monodactylidae) and the first recording of Euryhaliotrema spirotubiforum on the dory snapper Lutjanus fulviflamma and Russell's snapper Lutjanus russellii (both Lutjanidae) in Moreton Bay was reported. Conclusion: The results suggested that the diversity of dactylogyrids off eastern Australia is under estimated in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is seen as a transition from mobility being satisfied by a dominant car ownership model to a service model where mobility needs are met by a multimodal suite of services. The research environment of MaaS is heavily driven by the younger generation's travel behaviour which appears to be less dominated by car ownership (following the peak car literature) and by their interest in all things technological, particularly their smart phones. However, this paper is looking at a different but very specific segment of the population in Australia that have their accessibility provided by Community Transport (CT), focusing specifically on New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD). Arguably, this population segment is the complete antithesis of the younger generation in terms of chasing technological change but in other ways, for example, a lack of access to private cars, shows some similarities. This paper is motivated by likely changes in funding for CT providers. Currently CT providers receive a supply side subsidy but there are plans to introduce funding to be placed directly with clients, in the form of person centred funding (PCF). Clients will then have a single budget to purchase mobility along with other services they require. The paper investigates the mobility services which comprise bundles that CT clients would be willing to pay in the new era of PCF. Five participating CT providers from a cross section of operating areas recruited clients to take part in a stated choice experiment, processed by a computer assisted personal interview (CAPI). Advanced choice models are used to develop models using the behavioural data collected by the CAPI and estimates of a CT client's willingness to pay (WTP) for the MaaS bundle are presented. WTP provides a ceiling for pricing the elements within a MaaS bundle which is an important part of the CT providers' future strategy. The WTP estimates were much smaller than the CT providers' unit costs of providing the service. This poses a challenge for CT providers in the creation of mobiltiy bundles which cover costs, suggesting that the possible transition to PCF using MaaS bundles will not be an easy process and will require significant education as to the cost of provision. The paper concludes with some suggestions as to how CT providers could make the transition to PCF building on the evidence of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Toowoomba, South East Queensland, adults of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), were reared from rose hips from two cultivars of rose bushes ('Mr Lincoln' and 'Seduction'). Field collections were made and experiments conducted over the autumn months of March-May, 2021. From the two complete data sets, 155 stung hips weighed 310.5 grams and produced 180 pupae and 110 adult fruit flies. This equals an average of 354 B. tryoni per 1 kg of fruit. Based on these results, rose hips should be regarded as a significant host for B. tryoni. Additionally, during the study period and at the same location, other major fruit fly host plants were present and attacked by B. tryoni, including early season mandarins, Washington Navel oranges, passionfruit, capsicum and two varieties of tomato. The data presented herein indicate that rose hips should be considered as a breeding source in orchard pest management programs adjacent to urban areas, and when countering new incursions in cities and towns regarded as fruit fly free. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We investigate factors affecting Australian general practitioners' decisions to adopt novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for the prevention of stroke/systemic embolism among patients with atrial fibrillation. Australia has a national homogeneous review and coverage system, which enables us to distinguish physician level factors while maintaining system level factors and patient coverage information constant.Methods: We conduct a cohort analyses by using longitudinal physician survey data from the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life panel survey of Australian physicians (MABEL). MABEL data contain rich physician-level information such as age, gender, education, risk preferences, personality, physicians' communications with other medical professionals, and other practice characteristics. Importantly, the survey data were linked, with physician's consent, to actual utilization data from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Medicare Benefits Schedule between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2015. We measure speed (days until first time prescribing) of adopting NOACs. We estimate a Cox proportional hazard model to estimate factors affecting the adoption speed.Results: Several factors predict earlier adoption of NOACs: being male, more likely to take clinical risk, higher prescribing volume, being a principal or partner in the practice instead of an employee, spending less time in a typical consultation, and practicing in more affluent areas or areas with a higher proportion of older patients. GPs in Queensland are more likely to adopt NOACs and more likely to be extensive early adopters compared to other GPs. Other characteristics including physician personality, family circumstances, their involvement with public hospitals and teaching activities, and the distance between physician practice location to other clinics in the area are not statistically associated with earlier adoption.Conclusions: Our paper is one of the first to study the relationship between GPs' risk preferences, personality and their decisions to adopt new prescription drugs. Because NOACs are commonly prescribed and considered more cost-effective than their older counterpart, understanding factors affecting physicians' decisions to adopt NOACs has direct policy implications. Our results also highlight that even with universal coverage for prescription drugs, access to new drugs is different among patients, partially because who their doctors are and where they practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic revision of the Pultenaea setulosa species complex (Fabaceae, tribe Mirbelieae) is presented. Prior to this study, P. setulosa Benth. was broadly circumscribed as a single, morphologically variable species. Here, we present evidence supporting the recognition of 18 species, 14 of which are new to science. Pultenaea setulosa is recircumscribed as a morphologically uniform taxon endemic to the Marlborough region in south-east Queensland. We reinstate Pultenaea boormanii H.B.Will., Pultenaea campbellii Maiden & Betche and Pultenaea lapidosa Corrick from synonymy of P. setulosa and describe an additional 14 new species: Pultenaea acanthocalyx R.L.Barrett & Clugston, Pultenaea corrickiae R.L.Barrett, Orme & Clugston, Pultenaea estelleae R.L.Barrett & Clugston, Pultenaea farmeriana R.L.Barrett, Orme & P.H.Weston, Pultenaea hoskingii R.L.Barrett & Clugston, Pultenaea imminuta R.L.Barrett & S.F.McCune, Pultenaea murrayi R.L.Barrett, Pultenaea palssoniae R.L.Barrett & Clugston, Pultenaea praetermissa R.L.Barrett & Albr., Pultenaea purdieae R.L.Barrett & Clugston, Pultenaea renneri R.L.Barrett & Clugston, Pultenaea venusta R.L.Barrett & Orme, Pultenaea westonii R.L.Barrett & Clugston and Pultenaea woolcockiorum R.L.Barrett & Clugston. Sixteen of these species are endemic to New South Wales, one to Queensland and one to Victoria. All taxa are described and illustrated, and habitats and conservation status are discussed. Two additional related species, Pultenaea procumbens A.Cunn. and P. setigera A.Cunn. ex Benth. are recircumscribed. Pultenaea setigera is reinstated here, known from the type collection made in 1822 and is possibly extinct. Lectotypes are selected for the names Pultenaea boormanii, P. campbellii, P. procumbens, P. setigera and P. setulosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning electricity generation sectors to renewable energy is a necessary element of climate change mitigation but a challenging one with years of technical and social lock-in creating considerable inertia and a pace of change insufficient to meet the task. Transition management has emerged as a promising approach to proactively manage and accelerate transitions in sectors like energy and water and has the potential to do so in manner that would help secure energy justice. However, the approach has been criticised for ignoring the political dynamics of transitions, risking procedural and recognition injustice for traditional energy production regions while increasing opposition to a transition. This paper uses a qualitative case study approach to understand how a transition to renewable energy generation could be achieved in a way that secures energy justice for traditional energy production regions like those of Gladstone in the Australian state of Queensland. The paper augments the transition management approach with the “just transitions” concept, which has emerged from labour movements as a means to mitigate negative impacts on workers and communities in traditional energy production regions, to create a “Just Transition Management” framework that is applied as a diagnostic tool to the case study. While results suggest a transition is imminent within Queensland, a lack of: consistent, supportive federal policy; long-term visions, and a clear process leaves it at risk of being captured by the powerful incumbent resources sector utilising an “environment vs. jobs” narrative. Yet, the results also suggest that adopting a just transition management approach has the potential to successfully resist the influence of the resources sector, by providing cheap, secure renewable energy and supporting affected workers into roles in the renewable energy sector using a reflexive, representative network governance approach. Data analysis reveals how the application of just transition principles has already engaged communities and unions that were previously sceptical of renewable energy. Overall, this study suggests that the just transition management framework assists in identifying the political barriers to transitions and energy justice more broadly, while also providing a management approach which creates powerful niche actor-networks to counter the narratives and influence of the incumbent resource sector. Thus it could support successful transitions that achieve the distributional, recognition and procedural justice needed for energy justice globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1899, Britain requested volunteers from the Australian colonies to fight the Boers in South Africa. Australian soldiers who travelled to South Africa are described within the historical literature as fit and healthy, especially in comparison with British 'Tommies'. The troops themselves wrote frequently of their superior physical condition in personal records, however many wrote at length about the lack of food or comfort on the battlefield. This paper examines the demographic and anthropometric data on enlistment and discharge of 279 men who fought in the First and Third Queensland Contingents alongside soldiers' claims about health and comfort in South Africa. Anthropometric analysis reveals that despite variable food intake, Australian soldiers returned home fit and with slightly better nutritional status than on enlistment. This provides some backing to some soldiers' claims that military service brought them 'glorious healthiness'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian higher education participation continues to expand, yet in unequal ways. Regional, rural, and remote (RRR) student participation is stubbornly stalled, despite sustained research and policy initiatives to support these cohorts. To address this complex issue, we interviewed 10 RRR principals in Queensland and Victoria to explore specific challenges that face RRR communities, as well as collate strategies and solutions. Our findings highlighted the importance of leveraging and developing local knowledge and expertise to equip students with careers education, as well as the need to promote a positive narrative about RRR community life. A key theme that emerged from participants was the need to dispel the myth that students needed to leave their communities to achieve their goals or find career success. The findings from this paper point to a need for educational outreach programs to continue to develop context-specific, locally informed programs and support that align with RRR communities' values and ways of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings of an Australian study on cross-cultural communication and employment of several African birthplace groups of former refugees. The study was conducted in the greater Brisbane area in 2009–10 and collected both quantitative (based on a short questionnaire) and qualitative (based on 12 focus groups) data. Drawing on the uncertainty reduction theory (URT), the segmented labour market theory (SLMT) and Bourdieu's concepts of linguistic and cultural capital, the paper focuses on cross-cultural communication aspects of job search (particularly the job interview situation), the workplace (communication with supervisors and co-workers) and overcoming linguistic and cultural obstacles in building bridging social networks. Existing power relations that structure the communication process, especially the ‘symbolic power’ aspect of Australian ethnic relations, are the context of our analysis. We also report on gender differences that additionally structure these processes in the job search and workplace contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Background: Alcohol-related harm is a substantial burden on the community in Australia and internationally, particularly harm related to risky drinking practices of young people in the night-time economy. This protocol paper describes a study that will report on the changes in a wide range of health and justice outcome measures associated with major policy changes in the state of Queensland, Australia. A key element includes trading hours restrictions for licensed premises to 2 am for the state and 3 am in Safe Night Precincts (SNPs). Other measures introduced include drinks restrictions after midnight, increased patron banning measures for repeat offenders, mandatory ID scanning of patrons in late-night venues, and education campaigns.Methods: The primary aim of the study is to evaluate change in the levels of harm due to these policy changes using administrative data (e.g., police, hospital, ambulance, and court data). Other study elements will investigate the impact of the Policy by measuring foot traffic volume in SNPs, using ID scanner data to quantify the volume of people entering venues and measure the effectiveness of banning notices, using patron interviews to quantify the levels of pre-drinking, intoxication and illicit drug use within night-time economy districts, and to explore the impacts of the Policy on business and live music, and costs to the community.Discussion: The information gathered through this project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Policy and to draw on these findings to inform future prevention and enforcement approaches by policy makers, police, and venue staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Sustainability Declarations were introduced by the Queensland State Government on 1 January 2010 as a mandatory disclosure measure for all dwelling sales in the State. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact this policy decision has had in the homebuyer decision-making process in the first year since its introduction and to consider the effectiveness of the legislation in meeting its policy objectives. Design/methodology/approach – This quantitative research comprised a two-part process: the first stage surveyed the level of compliance by the real estate industry with the legislative requirements. Stage two comprised an online survey of Real Estate Institute of Queensland members to determine what impact the Sustainability Declaration has had on home buyer decision making and how effective the legislative mechanisms have been in achieving the policy objectives. Findings – This paper assesses the initial impact of this initiative over its first year in operation. These preliminary findings indicate a high level of compliance from the real estate industry, however results confirm that sustainability is yet to become a criterion of relevance to the majority of homebuyers in Queensland. Practical implications – These quantitative findings support anecdotal evidence that the objectives of the legislation to increase homebuyer awareness and relevance of sustainability issues in the home are not being achieved. Social implications – Sustainability Declarations are a first step in raising homebuyer awareness of the importance of sustainability in housing. Further monitoring of this impact will be carried out over time. Originality/value – This is the first research undertaken to assess the impact of this new mandatory disclosure legislation in Queensland, Australia. The findings will inform policy makers and assist them to assess the effectiveness of the current legislation in achieving its policy objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007 the film-maker Michael Noonan embarked on a project initially entitled 'Laughing at the Disabled' (a title then changed to 'Laughing with the Disabled'), a collaboration between himself and three people with intellectual disabilities. A doctoral candidate in the Creative Industries at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Noonan's film was the subject of a furious attack by two QUT academics - and then became a cause celebre not only in Australia but around the world. The 'Laughing at/with the Disabled' project became a touchstone for the futility and contempt inherent in much contemporary academic research and teaching - but especially was viewed by many as proof of the troubling status of disability in Australian universities. While it has been widely discussed in the press, and with the furore continued online via blogs, YouTube, and email lists, there has been an absence of critical discussion of the case. Accordingly, in this paper, I analyze the public record covering the criticisms of this research project, disciplinary action by QUT, and responses by those involved in the research. Rather than making judgments on the project, I explore this case for the light it sheds on the place of disability in Australian culture, the role of power, questions of ethics - and, perhaps most importantly, the cultural politics of disability in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify factors contributing to the success of demand management measures in a period of severe water shortage in urban areas of Queensland, Australia; to reflect on the role of demand management measures as a policy tool integral to Australia's National Water Initiative. Design/methodology/approach - The paper takes the form of a case study and literature review. Findings - Australia's National Water Initiative, with its emphasis on market-based reform, failed to provide adequate mechanisms for dealing with severe drought in Australia's urban areas. In contrast, a mix of regulatory, fiscal and educational initiatives encouraged Brisbane residents to reduce their water consumption by 57 per cent. These initiatives were successful because they formed part of a comprehensive, pervasive and persistent campaign delivered by two tiers of government working in conjunction and exhibiting strong local leadership. Originality/value - The paper identifies the need to include demand management measures - including regulatory, fiscal and educational measures - as well as market-based reforms in national water policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes changes in the number of residents and admissions to public psychiatric hospitals in Australia, and in the state of Queensland in particular, from 1883 to 2003. It identifies when the deinstitutionalisation of dedicated psychiatric institutions began in Queensland and finds that the policy described as ‘opening the back door’ (discharging residents) began around 1952–53, while the policy of ‘closing the front door’ (reducing admissions) began in 1962–63. Deinstitutionalisation in Queensland thus began earlier than most contemporary writers suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 4000 African refugees have resettled in Queensland through the Australian government's Humanitarian Program. Research on the settlement geography of this immigrant group is, however, limited. The present study is set within the context of research and debates concerning the residential concentration and/or dispersion patterns of immigrant settlement in Australia. The paper investigates the settlement and secondary migration geography of eight African refugee communities in Southeast Queensland. Discrepancies are identified between the official data and the actual distribution according to community members' views obtained via focus group surveys and interviews. Preliminary results indicate that there is a relatively high rate of secondary migration in the African communities. The paper also discusses the two key factors underpinning this secondary migration: housing and social networks. These findings have implications for settlement service providers, particularly in the area of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses an innovative approach Io teaching cataloguing. At Queensland University of Technology (QUT), students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma of Library and Information Studies were involved m an independent learning activity which aimed to develop LIS students' foundation knowledge of descriptive cataloguing, while simultaneously encouraging students to think critically about broader issues that would inevitably impact on their role as information professionals. In the self-study program, learning activities included an interactive multimedia CD-ROM and a primed workbook with exercises, argument by the opportunity for group discussion in weekly tutorials to enable students to share key aspects of their independent learning. Students were asked to critically evaluate the CD-ROM and the workbook and also to develop their own professional views about the arguments for and against the inclusion of cataloguing in the LIS curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Chinese society, traditional postnatal practices and family support protect the health and well-being of women after childbirth. The absence of support for these practices for Chinese migrants in Western societies can have negative implications for their health. Recent studies reveal that postnatal stress is a growing concern among Chinese migrant women in Brisbane, Australia. There is a need to investigate the experiences of these women in order to understand factors affecting their postnatal health and to identify gaps in, and ways to improve, existing services and support identified needs. This paper examines postnatal experience and health needs of Chinese migrant women in Brisbane from three different places of origin: Taiwan, Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Previous studies on reproductive health beliefs and practices of Chinese women have found that a relationship exists between postnatal maternal health and postnatal cultural practices, appropriate family and community support and social circumstances, particularly pressures relating to employment. This study further tests and confirms these findings by comparing the experience of the three Chinese groups who have different migration circumstances, socio-economic and employment status, and support networks. The study reveals that among the three groups, PRC migrants are more likely to have encountered downward social mobility, economic hardship, social isolation, employment and language problems. While all three groups believe in the necessity of traditional postnatal practices, the PRC group has less support and is also more likely to have experienced postnatal health problems than the other two groups. This paper concludes with two sets of recommendations: one for community organisations with a focus on empowerment and cooperation; and one for service providers concerning improvement of multi-sectoral partnership, cross-cultural communication and the development of a postnatal care service model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience thinking has developed separately in the bodies of literature on social-ecological systems, and that published principally within developmental psychology and mental health on the resilience of individuals. This paper explores what these bodies of literature might learn from the other towards a more integrated and enriched understanding of both social-ecological systems and social resilience. The psychology-based literature recognises a strong set of factors that enhance the strengths of individuals and communities, but lacks a sophisticated integration of the physical environmental context. The social-ecological systems literature offers an excellent foundation in complex adaptive systems, but tends to superimpose ecological concepts of system function onto the human domain, and needs to include an array of core social science concepts that are important to a full understanding of social-ecological systems. An example on north eastern Australia suggests how a converged understanding of social resilience could assist managers to acknowledge, enhance and foster social resilience in linked social-ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population health data, collected worldwide in an effort to monitor mortality and morbidity of mothers and babies, namely, perinatal data, are mandated at a federal level within Australia. The data are used to monitor patterns in midwifery, obstetric and neonatal practice, health outcomes, used for research purposes, funding allocation and education. Accuracy in perinatal data is most often reported via quantitative validation studies of perinatal data collections both internationally and in Australia. These studies report varying levels of accuracy and suggest researchers need to be more aware of the quality of data they use. This article presents findings regarding issues of concern identified by midwives relating to their perceptions of how technology affects the accuracy of perinatal data records. Perinatal data records are perceived to be more complete when completed electronically. However, issues regarding system functionality, the inconsistent use of terminology, lack of data standards and the absence of clear, written records contribute to midwives’ perceptions of the negative influence of technology on the quality of perinatal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]