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Background: This paper aimed to describe the legal worries of Australian general practitioners (GPs) and nurses regarding end-of-life care provided in the aged care setting. Methods: An analysis of responses to the final, open-ended question of a cross-sectional online survey of GPs and nurses practising in aged care settings in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria was undertaken. Results: Of the 162 GPs and 61 nurses who gave valid responses to the survey, 92% (151 GPs and 55 nurses) responded to the open-ended question. Participants identified concerns across all relevant areas of end-of-life law. The most common concerns were substitute decision-makers or family member(s) wanting to overrule an Advance Care Directive, requests for futile or non-beneficial treatment and conflict about end-of-life decision-making. Participants often also identified concerns about their lack of legal knowledge and their fear of law or risk related to both end-of-life care generally and providing medication that may hasten death. Conclusions: Australian GPs and nurses working in aged care have broad-ranging legal concerns about providing end-of-life care. Legal concerns and knowledge gaps identified here highlight priority areas for future training of the aged care workforce. The law supports good end-of-life clinical practice by facilitating health care that aligns with the values and goals of patients, including those residing in residential aged care facilities. GPs and nurses here reported broad-ranging legal concerns relevant to providing end-of-life care within aged care, including substitute decision makers/family members wanting to overrule Advance Care Directives, requests for futile or non-beneficial treatment and conflict about decision-making. Participants' concerns can inform end-of-life legal training for aged care GPs and nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong First Nations health workforce is necessary to meet community needs, health rights, and health equity. This paper reports the findings from a national survey of Australia's First Nations people employed in health services to identify enablers and barriers to career development, including variations by geographic location and organisation type. A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken across professions, roles, and jurisdictions. The survey was developed collaboratively by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal academics and Aboriginal leaders. To recruit participants, the survey was promoted by key professional organisations, First Nations peak bodies and affiliates, and national forums. In addition to descriptive statistics, logistic regression was used to identify predictors of satisfaction with career development and whether this varied by geographic location or organisation type. Of the 332 participants currently employed in health services, 50% worked in regional and remote areas and 15% in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) with the remainder in government and private health services. All enablers identified were associated with satisfaction with career development and did not vary by location or organisation type. "Racism from colleagues" and "lack of cultural awareness," "not feeling supported by their manager," "not having role models or mentors," and "inflexible human resource policies" predicted lower satisfaction with career development only for those employed in government/other services. First Nations people leading career development were strongly supported. The implications for all workplaces are that offering even a few career development opportunities, together with supporting leadership by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, can make a major difference to satisfaction and retention. Concurrently, attention should be given to building managerial cultural capabilities and skills in supporting First Nations' staff career development, building cultural safety, providing formal mentors and addressing discriminatory and inflexible human resources policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound extreme natural events cause a significantly larger impact than individual extreme events. Therefore, the urgency of exploring the climatology of compound events is growing. This paper is aimed to identify the current hotspots of compound heatwaves and droughts (CHD) and trends in their occurrence in southeast Australia. In this context, 61 weather stations were selected from the study area, and analyses were carried out over the extended summer season of the time period 1971–2021. The hotspots of CHDs in southeast Australia were identified considering both the total count of CHD days and 90th percentile of CHDs during the study period. The study period was divided into two periods 1971–2000 and 2001–2021, to assess the change in hotspots spatially and temporally. Four different attributes of CHDs based on the number, duration, severity and amplitude of CHDs were also calculated, and Mann–Kendall (MK) test followed by Sen's slope was adopted to detect the trends in all these four attributes of CHDs. Trends in CHD indices were also calculated for the two periods of 1971–2000 and 2001–2021. For calculating the CHD, excess heat factor (EHF) was used to identify the heatwaves. In the case of drought identification, SPEI and SPI drought indices were adopted with aggregation of 3 and 126 antecedent months, and three different threshold values were selected to consider three levels of dry conditions, e.g. 0, − 0.5 and − 1.0. It has been found that more CHDs occurred on the eastern side of NSW and Queensland states. Furthermore, the total count of CHD days increased notably during the last two decades. The trends in CHD indices were found to be significant in the recent period (2001–2021), and there was no trend in the earlier period (1971–2000). The findings of this study will help to plan heat and drought-related emergency management in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe patterns of use of the available Government-subsidised mental health services among people living in Australian residential aged care facilities. Methods: A retrospective population-based trend analysis was conducted, including all non-Indigenous people living in an Australian facility between 2012 and 2017. Adjusted incidence proportions and trends were estimated for four groups of mental health services. Results: The use of Medicare-subsidised mental health services was very low overall. The proportion of residents who accessed primary care mental health services increased from 1.3% in 2012/2013 to 2.4% in 2016/2017, while psychiatry service use increased from 1.9 to 2.3%. Claims for clinical psychology increased from 0.18 to 0.26%, and claims for a registered psychologist, occupational therapist or social worker rose from 0.45 to 1.2%. People with dementia were less likely than people without dementia to access all services aside from psychiatry services. Conclusions: Less than 3% of residents accessed funding subsidies for mental health services and people with dementia experienced pronounced barriers to service access. Mental health care is a pillar of the publicly-funded health system in Australia, and low use of these services among aged care residents indicates a need for organisational and policy changes to improve access. What is known about the topic? People living in residential aged care facilities report very high rates of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. What does this paper add? We demonstrate very low use (<3%) of Government-funded mental health services among people living in residential aged care facilities in Australia, with only small increases in use over time. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners should routinely assess the mental health needs of people living in residential aged care and refer for in-reach mental health services where needed, noting that facility staff are usually not trained for this role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current study aimed to further our understanding of second opinions among medical oncology patients by examining the proportion of patients who sought a second opinion about their cancer treatment, and why. Methods: The study was conducted between 2013 and 2015 in three medical oncology clinics located in public hospitals in Australia: in metropolitan New South Wales, metropolitan Queensland, and in Tasmania. Those patients who provide written informed consent were asked to complete a brief paper and pencil survey in the clinic containing questions on sociodemographic, disease and treatment characteristics. Approximately 1 month later, participants were mailed a second paper and pencil survey which contained questions about whether they had sought a second opinion and their motivation for doing so. Non-responders were followed up by letter at 3 and 6 weeks. Results: Of 823 patients screened for eligibility, 698 eligible patients, 612 provided consent. Of those who consented, 355 completed both the initial survey and the second survey and were included in the analyses. Of the 57 patients who sought a second opinion, the most frequent reasons given for doing so were the need for reassurance (49.1%) and the need to consider the range of treatment options (41.8%). Of the 297 (83.6%) participants who did not seek a second opinion, the main reason was confidence in the first doctor (88.7%). Only 3.1% patients did not know that they could ask for a second opinion. Occasionally the doctor will initiate the referral for a second opinion. Conclusions: Our study suggests that a minority of cancer patients seek a second opinion at some phase during their care. Most did so for reassurance or to ensure that they had covered all of the treatment options and not because of discomfort or distrust of their treating doctor. Few patients reported a lack of awareness of second opinions. This suggests that second opinions form part of a patient-centred approach to information provision about care options. Whether the second opinion improves the quality of care or indeed outcomes has been difficult to demonstrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational programs that bring the young and old together are known to facilitate social connections. However, benefits of intergenerational programs cannot be achieved by simply bringing the two generations together. We need to understand the factors which enhance intergenerational engagement. This paper specifically explores barriers and enablers for improving engagement of older people in an intergenerational program conducted within four research sites in South East Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Video ethnography was used to examine the intergenerational environment and observe patterns of engagement between older people and children. Findings reveal the type of activity, group structure and length of activity to increase engagement of older people in an intergenerational program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) police liaison programs were established around Australia from the late 1980s onwards to ameliorate discriminatory relationships between LGBTIQ people and police. With specialized training to better understand LGBTIQ issues, police liaison officers can provide support to LGBTIQ people as victims, offenders, or witnesses. Interestingly, very few LGBTIQ people seek support from these officers, even though many know they exist. This paper reports the results of a survey of a sample of LGBTIQ community members across two Australian states (Queensland and New South Wales) that explored why LGBTIQ people seek support from LGBTI police liaison officers. An online questionnaire asked LGBTIQ people about their perceptions of, and experiences with, police generally, and LGBTI police liaison officers specifically. Similar to past research, our analysis primarily found high levels of awareness of liaison officers, but very few participants accessed them. Further, and concerningly, the participants were generally reluctant to seek them out for support. Key implications of our findings for policy and practice development in police and LGBTIQ community services are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how social resistance emerged between 2010 and 2016, in response to coal seam gas (CSG) industry development in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Social responses to existing and proposed coal seam gas developments led to the formation of a substantial social movement, for which events are conceptualised and structured using the Movement Action Plan (MAP) model. Moyer's (2001) MAP model describes eight main stages of social movements, from 'normal times', through to 'success' and 'continuing the struggle'. The model also provides a useful frame for describing the key roles required to achieve successful and broad social mobilisation, which is discussed in the Northern Rivers context. Growing from a small seed of discontent in the Western Downs region of South-East Queensland, this social movement ultimately led to broad scale social licence withdrawal for the coal seam gas industry in the Northern Rivers region. It also led to the creation of a broad and complex network of associations and social identities, extending well beyond the local region. The international growth of a social movement against the unconventional gas industry appears to be re-fuelling the momentum of the global environmental justice movement. This paper explores when and how the industry's social licence was withdrawn. There are important learnings from this case study that can inform government policy on ways to improve community engagement in land use planning, to avoid such extreme cases of social licence withdrawal in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Law purports to regulate end-of-life care but its role in decision-making by doctors is not clear. This paper, which is part of a three-year study into the role of law in medical practice at the end of life, investigates whether law affects doctors' decision-making. In particular, it considers whether the fact that the law differs across Australia's three largest states - New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Queensland - leads to doctors making different decisions about withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from adults who lack capacity. Methods: A cross-sectional postal survey of the seven specialties most likely to be involved in end-of-life care in the acute setting was conducted between 18 July 2012 and 31 January 2013. The sample comprised all medical specialists in emergency medicine, geriatric medicine, intensive care, medical oncology, palliative medicine, renal medicine and respiratory medicine on the AMPCo Direct database in those three Australian states. The survey measured medical specialists' level of legal compliance, and reasons for their decisions, concerning the withholding or withdrawal of lifesustaining treatment. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine predictors of legal compliance. Linear regression was used to examine associations between the decision about life-sustaining treatment and the relevance of factors involved in making these decisions, as well as state differences in these associations. Results: Response rate was 32% (867/2702). A majority of respondents in each state said that they would provide treatment in a hypothetical scenario, despite an advance directive refusing it: 72% in NSW and Queensland; 63% in Victoria. After applying differences in state law, 72% of Queensland doctors answered in accordance with local law, compared with 37% in Victoria and 28% in NSW (p < 0.001). Doctors reported broadly the same decision-making approach despite differences in local law. Conclusions: Law appears to play a limited role in medical decision-making at the end of life with doctors prioritising patient-related clinical and ethical considerations. Different legal frameworks in the three states examined did not lead to different decisions about providing treatment. More education is needed about law and its role in this area, particularly where law is inconsistent with traditional practice. [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]

In two earlier papers, an intricate Jackpot structure [3] and analysis of pseudo-random numbers [4] for Keno in the Australian state of Queensland circa 2000 were described. Aspects of the work were also reported at an international conference [5]. Since that time, many aspects of the game in Australia have changed. The present paper presents more up-to-date details of Keno throughout the states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. A much simpler jackpot structure is now in place and this is described. Two addons or side-bets to the game are detailed: the trivial Heads or Tails and the more interesting Keno Bonus, which leads to consideration of the subset sum problem. The most intricate structure is where Heads or Tails and Keno Bonus are combined, and here, the issue of independence arises. Closed expressions for expected return to player (ERTP) are presented in all cases. [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]

Introduction: Effective primary healthcare services have been identified by the World Health Organization as the most equitable approach to enhancing universal healthcare. Robust models of mentoring for registered nurses (RNs) transitioning to primary healthcare roles have yet to be described in the Australian context. A robust mentoring model can support RNs to fulfill their potential, bridging the gap between theory and practice. In 2015, the peak body for nurses in primary health care (PHC) began developing a transition to practice program, including embedded mentoring to support newly graduated and more experienced registered and enrolled nurses. This quality improvement study reports the experiences and perspectives of nurses participating as mentors in two separate offerings of the program delivered between 2019 and 2021. Method: A two-phase concurrent mixed methods evaluation utilized data from pre- and post online surveys and post program meetings. Quantitative items underwent descriptive analyses. Thematic analysis of free-text responses and comments was conducted independently by two researchers. Mentors voluntarily provided self-report data and were informed that data is routinely collected to support continuous quality improvement processes for all programs. An Information Sheet informed mentors of data usage, confidentiality, and options to withdraw without penalty from the program at any time. Results: Seventy-nine mentors were recruited to support two groups of nurses (N = 111). Mentor self-rated overall satisfaction with program participation was 86.67% (very or extremely satisfied). Mentors described being "witness to mentee growth," "having facilitated access to learning" and receiving "unexpected benefits" including personal and professional growth and enhanced enthusiasm for their role in PHC. Conclusion: The embedded mentoring reported in this article combined a focus on skills acquisition and professional identity with the provision of a range of resources and support activities. Sustainable mentoring programs will be an important mechanism for supporting the expanding roles required of nurses working in primary health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the planning literature, the distinction between regulatory planning and strategic spatial planning has exposed a recurring dichotomy that exists between the idea of ‘conforming’ (regulative certainty) and ‘performing’ (strategic flexibility) plans and planning systems. This paper critically examines the divergent trajectories of land-use policy and regulation in two Australian states, Queensland and New South Wales. This paper concludes by arguing that the flexibility/certainty dilemma is something of an artifice—a land-use planning shibboleth—that serves to distract professional and scholarly attention away from substantive issues such as how planning might better engender more sustainable urban settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an ethnographic exploration of the assertion of a 'Barkindji style' art: why this matters and to whom it matters. Focusing particularly on the Darling River area of Wilcannia and on the period from the 1980s to the present, the increasing interest in art-making by local Aboriginal people is considered. Through a dialogue with artists, artworks, and others, the work examines the changing form, design and content of art and the rote of art in defining ideas of Barkindji Aboriginal culture and tradition. Invocations by key cultural brokers to produce work that is seen to 'belong to us' is explored in terms of the cultural, political, and personal work that this involves; particularly as this intersects with ideas of artistic freedoms versus artistic direction by cultural brokers. The paper discusses the personal considerations and tensions that come to bear in the processes connected with production of art and its making. In so doing, this paper engages with, and extends, the work of Tacon et al. (2003), Cooper (1994), Kleinert (1994) and Morphy (2001) as this pertains to art 'styles' and material culture from what is widely referred to as south-eastern Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the differences in school (NAPLAN) outcomes between New South Wales and Queensland. It shows that there are pronounced differences in Year 3 NAPLAN results between these states, though these dissipate when later class years are considered. The reasons for these state effects in school outcomes are explored using an empirical framework grounded in the regression discontinuity literature. There is no systematic evidence of school-specific unobservables that are linearly related to the distance of schools from the New South Wales–Queensland border that account for this state effect. In other words, the lower outcomes of schools in Queensland relative to schools in New South Wales appear to be a pure institutional phenomenon. This conclusion carries over to the various sensitivity tests undertaken based on the partition of the sample by school sector and by distance from the border. Accordingly, the border effects are expected to be eroded by the recent reforms to the school starting age in Queensland and by the national curriculum currently proposed for implementation in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Lifetime trajectories of mental ill-health are often established during adolescence. Effective interventions to prevent the emergence of mental health problems are needed. In the current study we assessed the efficacy of the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-informed Climate Schools universal eHealth preventive mental health programme, relative to a control. We also explored whether the intervention had differential effects on students with varying degrees of social connectedness. Method: We evaluated the efficacy of the Climate Schools mental health programme (19 participating schools; average age at baseline was 13.6) v. a control group (18 participating schools; average age at baseline was 13.5) which formed part of a large cluster randomised controlled trial in Australian schools. Measures of internalising problems, depression and anxiety were collected at baseline, immediately following the intervention and at 6-, 12- and 18-months post intervention. Immediately following the intervention, 2539 students provided data on at least one outcome of interest (2065 students at 18 months post intervention). Results: Compared to controls, we found evidence that the standalone mental health intervention improved knowledge of mental health, however there was no evidence that the intervention improved other mental health outcomes, relative to a control. Student's social connectedness did not influence intervention outcomes. Conclusion: These results are consistent with recent findings that universal school-based, CBT-informed, preventive interventions for mental health have limited efficacy in improving symptoms of anxiety and depression when delivered alone. We highlight the potential for combined intervention approaches, and more targeted interventions, to better improve mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than two decades, glyphosate has been relied on to control summer annual weeds in fallow systems in Australia's northern grains region. With numerous cases of glyphosate resistance reported in weed species collected from this region, there are concerns about the future viability of this herbicide. A random seed collection survey of summer weeds was conducted between 2016 and 2018 with the aim of determining the frequency and distribution of resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides commonly used for summer weed control. Glyphosate resistance was ubiquitous in fleabane, with all collected populations resistant to this herbicide. Glyphosate resistance was also prevalent in feathertop Rhodes grass, windmill grass, and awnless barnyard grass, with resistance detected in 68%, 58%, and 36% of populations, respectively. Only 14% of sowthistle populations collected between 2013 and 2108 were resistant to glyphosate. Resistance to haloxyfop was detected in feathertop Rhodes grass, albeit at a low frequency (2%). Other herbicides, such as 2,4-D amine, propaquizafop, and clethodim, provided good control of the broadleaf and grass weeds tested. The results from these surveys conducted between 2013 and 2017 provide a first glimpse of the state of herbicide resistance in key crop weeds for Queensland and the northern region of New South Wales. It is clear that farmers and agronomists need to consider incorporating non-chemical weed management tactics to promote the sustainability of current herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The localised successes but geographic boundedness of Australian Rules football raise interesting questions about the relationship of sports to the regional character of the South-West Pacific. Although it is called ‘Australian’, the game has historically been restricted to roughly half of the population of the colonies and states, failing to capitalise on its initial flowering in Queensland and New South Wales. In the nineteenth century, it was better known by its urban (Melbourne) and colonial (Victorian) origins. Although sport historians have occasionally sought to explain the game's failure to win popular followings in northern Australia, the more intriguing question is why it failed to survive in New Zealand – the colony that had most in common with the game's birthplace in Victoria. This paper explores the diffusion of the code to New Zealand during the colonial era, and discusses the wider ramifications for its eventual loss of purchase across the Tasman Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Education is state-run in Australia, and within each of the eight states and territories there are both government and independent schooling systems. This paper details the position of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students within Australian education policy documents nationally, focusing on the three largest states and educational sectors in Australia. Survey data are used to report on the schooling experiences of over 3000 Australian GLBTIQ young people aged 14–21 years. Data from interviews with key policy informants identify both the obstacles to implementing policies, and how such obstacles have been overcome. Much official policy sees sexuality education as promoting inclusive, protective and affirming messages around GLBTIQ students. There exist significant correlations between policy and a variety of well-being and psycho-social outcomes for GLBTIQ students, including lowered incidence of homophobic abuse and suicide, and the creation of supportive school environments. Ideal policy visions are outlined, along with practical recommendations of relevance to a variety of stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract Young people with complex support needs who live outside metropolitan areas face unique challenges. Issues such as poor educational and employment opportunities, homelessness, racism, problematic substance use, challenging behaviour, disability and mental illness can be magnified and lead to judgment and marginalisation in small communities such as those in rural and regional areas. As a result of poor resourcing of services in these areas, young people may be forced to transition from place to place, service to service as a way of coping with life challenges. This paper presents findings from interviews and focus groups with service providers who support such young people in regional and rural Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. Service providers reported similar challenges to professionals working in urban areas, such as navigating inter-agency and inter-professional work and dealing with funding shortages. However, these issues were amplified by the need to work across broad geographical areas, to recruit and retain skilled workers and to respond to the many structural and resource inadequacies in smaller communities. While services aimed to be responsive to young people, the challenges of providing support in a non-metropolitan context could create a context in which young people either disengaged from services or poor response resulted in systemic escalation to crisis. The implications for policy and practice are explored. Highlights • Supports to young people with complex support needs in non-metropolitan areas in Australia are poorly resourced. • Non-metropolitan services work best when they are based on relationship-based practice and local community needs. • Interagency collaboration is essential when working across broad geographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to map the geographic distribution of tertiary hospitals in Australia’s most populous cities. Good access to hospital facilities improves the health and welfare of a community. The use of geographic information system (GIS) technology can assist in understanding spacial accessibility to services. Methods. Using Quantum GIS, a geodatabase was constructed to incorporate hospital locations and demographic distribution data throughout Australia’s 20 most populous cities. Data on the population’s age groups were integrated into the geodatabase to investigate the distribution of age groups and their utilisation of access to emergency departments in tertiary public health care. Overall this study reported the geospatial distribution of 89 tertiary hospitals and the demographics of the population in areas around these hospitals. Results. The majority of hospitals were located in the three most populated cities of New South Wales (NSW), Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, which contain a total of 32 hospitals, with 23 (72%) of the hospitals in Sydney. There were 7.8, 24.0, 53.4 and 81.0% of the population in NSW within 1.5, 3, 6 and 50 km of the hospitals, respectively. The second-highest number of hospitals was in Victoria (n = 22), with 18 (82%) hospitals located in Melbourne. This was followed by Queensland (n = 14), with eight (57%) hospitals located in Brisbane. Conclusions. The results indicate that 82.2% of the Australian population lives within a 50 km radius of a tertiary hospital, with NSW having higher age distribution percentages than the other states. The results of this study could be used to locate and improve areas of need with a high burden of disease and low accessibility to healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Electricity Market Operator generates one-day ahead electricity demand forecasts for the National Electricity Market in Australia and updates these forecasts over time until the time of dispatch. Despite the fact that these forecasts play a crucial role in the decision-making process of market participants, little attention has been paid to their evaluation and interpretation. Using half-hourly data from 2011 to 2015 for New South Wales and Queensland, it is shown that the official half-hourly demand forecasts do not satisfy the econometric properties required of rational forecasts. Instead there is a relationship between forecasts and forecast horizon similar to a term structure model of interest rates. To study the term structure of demand forecasts, a factor analysis that uses a small set of latent factors to explain the common variation among multiple observables is implemented. A three-factor model is identified with the factors admitting interpretation as the level, slope and curvature of the term structure of forecasts. The validity of the model is reinforced by assessing the economic value of demand forecasts. It is demonstrated that simple adjustments to long-horizon electricity demand forecasts based on the three estimated factors can enhance the informational content of the official forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report for the first time the occurrence of an Eutypella species on cotton in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The putative Eutypella was isolated from dead cotton plants that exhibited atypical symptoms of either Fusarium or Verticillium wilt. Dead plants had symptoms resembling lightning strike damage with blackened outer bark around the fifth node zone. Internal vascular discoloration was reddish grey and often occurred in V-shaped sections. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) revealed a 93.7–94.1% similarity to Eutypella scoparia, indicating that the NSW cotton isolates represented a putatively novel species within the Eutypella genus. Pathogenicity of the isolated Eutypella was assessed on cotton stem cuts and living plants inoculated with culture agar plugs. Typical black necroses on outer bark and reddish vascular discoloration were reinduced in both Eutypella-inoculated stem cuts and living plants. Subsequently, the same Eutypella pathogen was successfully recovered, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. The detection of Eutypella on NSW cotton is believed to be an independent event from a recently reported occurrence of Eutypella on Queensland cotton. The Queensland detection occurred in the same 2017/18 cropping season at approximately 730 km apart and was associated with distinct Eutypella isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Host specificity in an Australian species of processionary moth was studied over three years in the eastern Australia states of Queensland and New South Wales. The processionary moth Ochrogaster lunifer is known as a species complex, characterised by several nesting forms coexisting in the same geographical area. The canopy nesting forms associated with acacias (Acacia spp.) and eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp. and Corymbia spp.) were recently shown to be genetically distinct, and they were here tested for host specificity by reciprocal transplant experiments. Egg masses and subsequent offspring were moved within and among putative hosts in field settings. Early larval colonies performed significantly better on their natal hosts than on the transplanted ones, with no difference observed for mature larval colonies. The genetic separation identified in previous work is, thus, confirmed by these ecological observations on host specificity, stressing the importance of host specialization in the ongoing speciation process. The 'mother knows best' hypothesis is tested in a species of processionary moth feeding on acacias and eucalypts in Australia. The processionary moth Ochrogaster lunifer (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae; Thaumetopoeinae) is a social caterpillar living in large colonies on a number of tree and shrub species. Five nesting types—canopy, trunk, tree-hugger, hanging, and ground—have been described, and this study deals with canopy nesters on various species of acacias (Acacia spp.) and eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp. and Corymbia spp.). Reciprocal transplant experiments conducted over three years confirm the 'mother knows best' hypothesis, as colonies performed better on the natal host plant than on the recipient ones. Young first instar larvae were less likely to establish on a non-natal host than the mature larvae, and all acacia-sourced canopy egg masses failed to establish on eucalypts. Large larvae were able to establish on transplant hosts. This suggests a strong preference–performance link at what is likely a species level, confirming preliminary results recently published on genetic divergence. Canopy nesting forms also have a lower realised fecundity than the ground nesting form on acacias from the same geographic area, but higher than another canopy nesting form from western Australia. Further observations on ecological and genetic traits are required to draw conclusions about the separation of lineages in the canopy nesting form of O. lunifer, by including populations from other parts of the range for both the herbivore and the host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is a billion-dollar crop in regional New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. Fusarium wilt (FW) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) is an economically important disease. Initial disease losses of up to 90% when the disease was first detected resulted in fields being taken out of cotton production. The disease is now well-managed due to the adoption of highly resistant varieties. However, annual disease surveys recently revealed that the disease dynamic has changed in the past few seasons. With relatively mild and wet weather conditions during the 2021/22 growing season, FW was detected in eight surveyed valleys in NSW and Queensland, with the disease incidence as high as 44.5% and 98.5% in individual fields in early and late seasons, respectively. Fov is genetically distinct and evolved from local Fusarium oxysporum strains. Additionally, the pathogen was reported to evolve rapidly under continuous cotton cropping pressure. However, our knowledge of the genetic composition of the prevailing population is limited. Sequences of the translation elongation factor alpha 1 (TEF1) revealed that 94% of Fusarium isolates recovered from FW-infected cotton were clustered together with known Australian Fov and relatively distant related to overseas Fov races. All these isolates, except for nine, were further confirmed positive with a specific marker based on the Secreted in Xylem 6 (SIX6) effector gene. Vegetative compatibility group (VCG) analyses of 166 arbitrarily selected isolates revealed a predominance of VCG01111. There was only one detection of VCG01112 in the Border Rivers valley where it was first described. In this study, the exotic Californian Fov race 4 strain was not detected using a specific marker based on the unique Tfo1 insertion in the phosphate (PHO) gene. This study indicated that the prevalence and abundance of Fov across NSW and Queensland in the past five seasons was probably independent of its genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing commitment to trauma-informed practice and increased recognition of risks associated with this work. However, the benefits of working with trauma-affected clients are under-studied. Drawing on interviews with sixty-three welfare, health and legal professionals in Australia, we consider the salutogenic dynamics of work with women with experiences of complex trauma. Participants articulated an ethics of care in which professionals ally with clients against abuse and violence as well as transactional neoliberal service models. We identify this approach to trauma work as a form of vicarious resistance that challenges dichotomies of vicarious trauma and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bermuda grass latent virus (BGLV; genus Panicovirus) is identified for the first time in Australia and in only the second country after the USA. A full-length genome sequence was obtained, which has 97% nucleotide sequence identity to that of the species exemplar isolate. Surveys for BGLV, utilising a newly designed universal panicovirus RT-PCR assay for diagnosis, demonstrated widespread infection by this virus in a broad variety of Bermuda grass cultivars (Cynodon dactylon and C. dactylon × C. transvaalensis) grown in both New South Wales and Queensland. The virus was also detected in Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) and Kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus), which are both important pasture grasses in subtropical Australia, and the latter is also grown as turf. Furthermore, the Rhodes grass plant, which had strong mosaic symptoms, was also infected with sugarcane mosaic virus, warranting further investigations as to whether synergistic interactions occur between these two viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was identified in Australia. During the pandemic, as essential workers, hospital-based social workers have been on the frontline. This cross-sectional study examines the resilience of social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, how the pandemic impacted on social work and lessons learnt. Hospital social workers working in three states, namely Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales were invited to participate in an online web-based survey, providing non-identifiable demographic details and information a) relating to their proximity to COVID-19, b) their degree of resilience (CD-RISC-2), c) professional quality of life, d) perceived social support, e) physical health, f) professional and personal growth during the pandemic, and g) impacts of COVID-19 on their practice. Basic descriptive statistics were computed for variables of interest. Within group, comparisons were made using paired t-tests or one-way ANOVAs for continuous variables as appropriate to investigate possible interstate differences. Regression analyses were conducted to determine which factors contribute to resilience. Social workers, during the pandemic, whether working under the constraints of lockdown or not, demonstrated high levels of resilience. These levels were similar across the three states, unaffected by the degree of infection in the community, indicating that as a group, social workers have high innate levels of resilience. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on hospital social workers, the long-term impact of the pandemic on social work practice, and potentially useful lessons learnt for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For more than the last two decades, older Australians travelling domestically in self-sufficient accommodation and recreational vehicles for extended periods of time have been referred to as 'Grey Nomads'. By 2021 more than 750,000 such recreational vehicles were registered in Australia. Tourism data for the year to September 2017 show 11.8 million domestic camping and caravanning trips in Australia, 29% of which were people aged 55 and over. As the 'baby boomer' generation increasingly comes to retirement, the size of this travelling population is growing. This term applies to the spike in birth rates after World War II from 1946-1964. This growing group of domestic travellers are potential healthcare consumers in remote areas but relatively little is known about their travel, healthcare needs or care seeking practices. Grey nomads have been described as reflective of the age-comparable sector of the Australian population in that many live with chronic illness. Early concerns were raised that they may "burden" already stretched rural and remote healthcare services but relatively little is known about the impact of these travellers.Methods: The aim of this study was to explore the utilisation of healthcare services in remote locations in Australia by grey nomads including women travellers, from the perspective of healthcare professionals working in these settings. The study objective was to interview healthcare professionals to seek their experience and details of service delivery to grey nomads. In March 2020 [prior to state border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic] a field study was conducted to identify the impact of grey nomads on healthcare services in remote New South Wales and Queensland. A qualitative approach was taken to explore the perspectives of nursing healthcare managers working in remote towns along a popular travel route. With appropriate Research Ethics Committee approval, managers were purposively sampled and sample size was determined by data saturation. Thirteen managers were contacted and twelve interviews were scheduled to take place face to face in the healthcare facilities (small hospitals with acute care and aged care services) at mutually convenient times. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed in line with the research aim. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematic analysis was undertaken concurrently with data collection for ongoing refinement of questions and to address emerging issues.Results: These nursing managers described a strong service and community ethos. They regarded travellers' healthcare needs no differently to those of local people and described their strong commitment to the provision of healthcare services for their local communities, applying an inclusive definition of community. Traveller presentations were described as predominantly exacerbations of chronic illness such as chest pain, medication-related attendances, and accidents and injuries. No hospital activity data for traveller presentations were available as no reports were routinely generated. Travellers were reported as not always having realistic expectations about what healthcare is available in remote areas and arriving with mixed levels of preparedness. Most travellers were said to be well-prepared for their travel and self-management of their health. However, the healthcare services that can be provided in rural and remote areas needed to be better understood by travellers from metropolitan areas and their urban healthcare providers.Conclusion: Participants did not perceive travellers as a burden on health services but recommendations were made regarding their expectations and preparedness. Australia's national transition to electronic health records including a patient-held record was identified as a future support for continuity of care for travellers and to facilitate treatment planning. With no current information to characterise traveller presentations, routinely collected hospital data could be extracted to characterise this patient population, their presentations and the resources required to meet their care needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baby Boomers are ageing, yet little is known as to what their expectations are likely to be for the community health service sector or what the challenges this cohort might create. Interviews were conducted with 11 experienced Australian baby boomer carers to identify the key characteristics that might influence their future community aged care service expectations. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed five characteristics that could influence participant expectations for future services: Independent; Astute; Resourceful; Forthright and Exacting. As octogenarians this group plan to independently self‐determine what support services they receive and from whom without any outside influence, using their well‐developed skills and knowledge, by drawing on their own resourcefulness. They will most likely create significant pressure for industry change. To accommodate this group, a new service industry model will most likely be needed. One that empowers older people to completely self‐manage and take control of their services as true consumers rather than a model, which designates older people as passive recipients of provider offered and driven services. For this to be achieved, a considerable philosophical shift is required on how ageing is viewed by society, including health professionals and government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of disease attributable to alcohol and other drug (AOD) use in young people is considerable. Prevention can be effective, yet few programs have demonstrated replicable effects. This study aimed to replicate research behind Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis course among a large cohort of adolescents. Methods: Seventy-one secondary schools across three States participated in a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Year 8 students received either the web-based Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis course (Climate, n = 3236), or health education as usual (Control, n = 3150). Outcomes were measured via self-report and reported here for baseline, 6- and 12-months for alcohol and cannabis knowledge, alcohol, cannabis use and alcohol-related harms. Results: Compared to Controls, students in the Climate group showed greater increases in alcohol- [standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.51, p < 0.001] and cannabis-related knowledge (SMD 0.49, p < 0.001), less increases in the odds of drinking a full standard drink[(odds ratio (OR) 0.62, p = 0.014], and heavy episodic drinking (OR 0.49, p = 0.022). There was no evidence for differences in change over time in the odds of cannabis use (OR 0.57, p = 0.22) or alcohol harms (OR 0.73, p = 0.17). Conclusions: The current study provides support for the effectiveness of the web-based Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis course in increasing knowledge and reducing the uptake of alcohol. It represents one of the first trials of a web-based AOD prevention program to replicate alcohol effects in a large and diverse sample of students. Future research and/or adaptation of the program may be warranted with respect to prevention of cannabis use and alcohol harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To identify patterns in the temporal dynamics and spatial organization of kangaroo subpopulations that are commercially harvested, we fitted multivariate autoregressive state‐space (MARSS) models to time series of kangaroo abundance from the main harvest zones of eastern Australia (1990–2019 for New South Wales and 1984–2019 for Queensland). We found that the responses of most populations to process variation, that is variation due to environmental or demographic stochasticity were correlated and that populations responded synchronously to environmental changes. Furthermore, we examined the influence of the covariates lagged rainfall, Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and harvest rate on kangaroo abundance. We found that lagged rainfall had a positive influence, SOI and harvest rate had negative influences but the influence of covariates was not consistent across species or between subpopulations. In terms of population spatial structure, the analysis identified two subpopulations of Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) in New South Wales and four subpopulations of grey kangaroos (a combination of Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)), which appeared to be associated with a rainfall gradient from east‐west. In Queensland, separate subpopulations were identified in each of the three main harvest management zones for both Red Kangaroo and Eastern Grey Kangaroo. The implications of these results for the management of commercially harvested kangaroos are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population more than doubled in size between 1996 and 2016. Growth was highest in urban areas and lower in rural and remote areas. An important contributor to growth was identification change, whereby individuals report their Aboriginal status differently over time. Official population projections in Australia currently do not incorporate this phenomenon, leading to underestimation of future populations which affects policies, targets and planning for demand‐based services. We outline a new projection model to improve subnational estimates of future regional population growth by endogenizing identification change and Aboriginal/non‐Aboriginal childbearing. Results suggest that growth will be higher than currently projected, especially in urban‐dominated regions in New South Wales and Queensland where identification change is projected to account for more than 50% of growth. There will also be considerable population ageing, which has implications for services and policies relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, the community heritage sector – galleries, libraries, archives, museums and historical societies managed by volunteers – plays a significant role in recording and preserving the diversity of Australia's cultural heritage. However, these community heritage organisations face uncertain futures. This article offers four examples of heritage organisations located in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia which have struggled with organisational sustainability arising from various financial, human, physical, skills, and expertise challenges. We assess some of the common problems threatening the longevity of community heritage organisations and what action is needed to safeguard this sector into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Amoria Gray, 1855 (Gastropoda, Volutidae) is described from shells dredged off the Australian mid-east coast (Cape Moreton, Queensland and Tweed Heads, New South Wales). Amoria thorae sp. nov. shows a number of similarities in shell form and/or colour pattern to two other small Amoria, A. necopinata Darragh, 1983 and A. benthalis McMichael, 1964 and to the much larger A. undulata (Lamarck, 1804) but can be readily distinguished from these and all other members of the genus by the combination of small shell size, fusiform shape, high spire, equalsized thick columellar plaits and a single, large undulation of the axial lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The symbiosis between sea anemones and hermit crabs is ubiquitous in the marine environment (except in the poles), occurring from shallow to deep waters; it involves one or more anemones living on a shell inhabited by a hermit crab. The anemone-crab partnership is a mutualism in which hermit crabs provide a hard substrate, increased access to oxygenated waters and food supply, in exchange for defense by the anemone. The vast majority of the sea anemone partners belong to three genera in family Hormathiidae: Adamsia, Calliactis, Paracalliactis. Given the remarkable nature of the symbiosis, hormathiid partners have been hypothesized to represent a monophyletic group. This has been rejected by Gusmão and Daly et al. (2010) and confirmed by our phylogenetic analysis using molecular markers (12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, COIII). We expand the results of Gusmão and Daly et al. (2010) by finding a monophyletic Paracalliactis, which was left untested in their analyses. Thus, characters of taxonomic significance associated to the symbiotic habit are interpreted as functional rather than phylogenetic. We reconcile taxonomy and the present evolutionary framework to avoid defining taxonomic groups based on characters prone to convergence. We formalize the synonymy of Adamsia and Calliactis and provide updated diagnoses for the valid genera Calliactis and Paracalliactis to bring more stability to the group. Under this new framework, we describe Calliactis tigris sp. nov. from Australia based on 21 specimens collected off the coast of New South Wales and Queensland and differentiate it from congeners and other hermit crab symbionts recorded in the Pacific Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The community prevalence of advance care directives (ACD) is low despite known benefits of advance care planning for patients, families and health professionals. Aim: To determine the community prevalence of instructional and appointing ACD in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland and factors associated with completion of these documents. Methods: A telephone survey of adults living in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland (n = 1175) about completion of instructional ACD (making their own decisions about future healthcare) and appointing ACD (appointing another to decide). Quota sampling occurred based on population size by state, gender and age, with oversampling in smaller jurisdictions (Victoria and Queensland). Results: Overall response rate was 33%. Six per cent of respondents reported completing an instructional ACD while 12% reported completing an appointing ACD. Female gender, higher educational level, personal experience of a major health scare and being widowed were significant predictors of completing an instructional ACD. Older age, higher educational level and being widowed were significant predictors of completing an appointing ACD. Conclusions: Despite long‐standing efforts to increase advance care planning, community prevalence of ACD remains low, particularly for instructional ACD. This study found some different predictors for instructional ACD compared with appointing ACD, and also a potential role for experiential factors in triggering uptake. These findings suggest supplementing general community awareness campaigns with more nuanced and targeted efforts to improve ACD completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new species of Lindernia All. is described (L. yarun Wannan) from south-eastern Queensland. The following three species of Lindernia are newly recognised for Queensland: L. clausa (F.Muell.) F.Muell., L. procumbens (Krock.) Philcox and L. rotundifolia (L.) Alston. Illustrations of flowers, fruits, seeds, leaves, stem anatomy, and specimens are provided. Notes on habitat, distribution and conservation status are also provided. A key to eastern Australian species of Lindernia , Bonnaya Link & Otto and Yamazakia W.R.Barker, Y.S.Liang & Wannan is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advance of renal replacement therapy options for people with end-stage kidney disease has given rise to the development of specialist renal nurses including the renal transplant coordinator. The renal transplant coordinator role requires a high level of specialist knowledge in renal and transplantation nursing plus a commitment to following through with people in the long term. To find out just what renal transplant coordinators in Australia do, an interview was conducted with renal transplant coordinators from each Australian state and territory. Their stories relate to transplanting units; referring centres; and, adult, paediatric, statewide and national renal services. They demonstrate the diversity that exists within the role of the renal transplant coordinator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the Australian National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) policy introduced in 2012 on ED performance. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of NEAT implementation using linked data, for 12 EDs across New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Queensland (QLD) between 2008 and 2013. Segmented regression in a multi‐level model was used to analyse ED performance over time before and after NEAT introduction. The main outcomes measures were ED length of stay ≤4 h, access block, number of ED presentations, short‐stay admission (≤24 h), >24 h admissions, unplanned ED re‐attendances within 7 days and 'left at own risk' (including 'did not wait for assessment'). Results: Two years after NEAT introduction, ED length of stay ≤4 h increased in NSW and QLD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.48 and 3.24; P < 0.001) and access block decreased (OR = 0.41 and 0.22; P < 0.001), but not in ACT (OR = 1.28; P > 0.05). ED presentations increased over time before and after NEAT introduction with a significant increase above the projected trend in NSW after NEAT (mean ratio = 1.07). Short‐stay admissions increased in QLD (OR = 2.60), ACT (OR = 1.68) and NSW (OR = 1.35). Unplanned ED re‐attendances did not change significantly. Those who left at their own risk decreased significantly in NSW and QLD (OR = 0.38 and 0.67). Conclusion: ED presentations continued to increase over time in all jurisdictions. NSW and QLD, but not ACT, showed significant improvements in time‐based measures. Significant increases in short‐stay admissions suggest a strategic change in ED process associated with NEAT implementation. Rates of unplanned ED re‐attendances and those leaving at their own risk showed no evidence for adverse effects from NEAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the marketing of sugar in Australia. According to the author, sugar is the oldest of Australia's subsidized exports. He notes that the country's handling of the sugar trade is an example of statutory marketing control. The author discusses the formation of body called the Sugar Board to handle the country's marketing of sugar. According to the author, the board buys all of the raw cane sugar grown in Queensland and New South Wales, sets maximum wholesale, manufacturing and retail selling prices for various sugar products and provides sugar for export.