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Over the next three decades, Australia's large cities are expected to experience major population growth, while many regional areas will likely be faced with shrinking and ageing populations. This paper asks how official population projections are considered in strategic spatial policy frameworks for Victoria and South Australia, and what land use planning responses are proposed to address increasing spatial disparities. The analysis shows that policy priorities are overwhelmingly focused on growth, whereas the needs of declining regions are largely ignored. There is a worrisome lack of strategic policy thinking on how to manage existing and likely intensifying spatial imbalances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the shared mining heritage between Australia and Linares, Spain, focusing on the efforts of the Colectivo Proyecto Arrayanes. The Colectivo has recognized the international significance of their mining landscape and culture, particularly the influence of British mining companies and the presence of Cornish miners. They have conducted research, enhanced the value of their mining heritage, and established connections with other organizations dedicated to mining heritage. The Colectivo has pursued World Heritage status for their mining district and participated in international conferences to exchange knowledge. The article also discusses the history of mining in Linares, the lack of preservation compared to Australia, and ongoing efforts to protect and promote the mining landscape as a cultural and tourism resource. Various initiatives and actions related to mining heritage in Linares are mentioned, including the recognition of good practices, the opening of an interpretation center, and plans for underground visits and the adaptation of a tunnel for cultural and tourist purposes. The importance of mutual knowledge and cooperation in developing mining heritage is emphasized, as well as the potential economic benefits. [Extracted from the article]

In the aftermath of the last ice age, when sea level rose along most of the world's coastline, the activities of coastal peoples were impacted by coastal submergence, land loss and sometimes isolation as offshore islands formed. In some parts of the world, there is clear evidence that people encoded their observations of postglacial sea-level rise into oral traditions that were communicated across hundreds of generations to reach us today in an intelligible form. In other contexts, people's observations of rising sea level are likely to have formed the foundations of 'legends' about undersea places and the peoples inhabiting them. For a selection of coastal sites in Australia and northwest Europe, this study discusses a range of contrasting situations in which culturally-grounded stories about coastal submergence, land loss and isolation plausibly recollect the nature and effects of postglacial sea-level rise. Using science-based histories of postglacial sea-level change, minimum ages are determined for each group of site-specific stories; in the case of Australia, these range from 7000–11,500 BP, for northwest Europe from 5500 to 9500 BP. For selected sites in the Pacific Islands, where human settlement about 3000 years BP post-dated the end of postglacial sea-level rise, localized submergence is recalled in traditional stories of local people. It is argued that studies of late Quaternary coastal evolution can often be filled out by adding details from stories preserved in local cultures, something which leads to a clearer picture of the human-societal impacts of coastal submergence and land loss than can be obtained from palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and geological evidence alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research used an intersectional feminist approach to explore migrant Muslim women's experiences of coping and resilience-building in settling in Australia. Using qualitative exploratory methodology, focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 migrant Muslim women in Adelaide, Australia. The findings revealed complexities emanating from being Muslim and migrant impacting profoundly in the early phases of settlement, and support and assistance received from the formal and informal systems in their settlement journey helping them to cope and become resilient. Findings offer insights to social work and health professionals and researchers into the intersectionalities of race, religion, gender, and migrant status in shaping Muslim women's experiences in post-migration settlement and strategies to build their resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisms respond to their environment in various ways, including moving, adapting, acclimatising or a combination of responses. Within estuarine habitats, organisms are exposed to naturally variable environmental conditions. In urbanised estuaries, these natural variations can interact with human stressors such as habitat modification and pollution. Here, we investigated trait variation in the golden kelp Ecklonia radiata across an urban estuary - Sydney Harbour, Australia. We found that kelp morphology differed significantly between the more human-modified inner and the less modified outer harbour. Kelp individuals were smaller, had fewer laminae, and lacked spines in the inner harbour where it was warmer, more contaminated and less light was available. Inner harbour populations were characterised by lower tissue nitrogen and higher lead concentrations. These findings provide insights into how environmental variation could affect kelp morphology and physiology, and the high trait variation suggests adaptive capacity in E. radiata. • We assessed spatial variation in Ecklonia radiata traits across an urban estuary. • The inner estuary was warmer, more turbid, and contaminated than the outer estuary. • Outer harbour kelp had thicker stipes, longer and narrower laminae with spines. • Tissue concentrations of lead were higher and nitrogen lower in the inner estuary. • The high trait variation suggests environmental adaptability of E. radiata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the life histories of 12 Hazara women in south-eastern Australia, each of whom arrived from 2005 onwards. It traces the environmental dimensions of their experiences of home, flight and new settlement, with a sustained focus on how water played a role in their journeys. There has been little discussion to date about the gendered relationships to place and environments for refugees, nor on how the well-publicised depictions of refugee journeys are often gendered, although seldom recognised as such. During in-depth oral history interviews, these Hazara refugee women talked about 'home' and 'water', depicting them as entwined concepts in their recollected early lives in Afghanistan, their long, enforced residence in transit ghettos and their new experiences in south-eastern Australia. The 'everyday' and material experiences they recall and narrate about 'homes' and 'water' in each of these locations of their past and present point not only to the environmental context and implications of their experiences but to the processes of mourning that accompany such traumatic journeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The permanent exclusion of flying-foxes from camps (camp dispersal) near human settlements is a management tool commonly used to mitigate human–wildlife conflict. We summarised information on the costs and outcomes of 48 camp dispersals in Australia. Our aim was to improve the information base on which camp management decisions are made. Camp dispersals were largely triggered by impacts on neighbouring residents (75%). A disproportionately high number occurred in 2013–14, associated with changes in Queensland flying-fox management policy following an increase in the number of urban camps. Repeat actions over months or years were typically required to exclude flying-foxes from camps (58%). In 88% of cases, replacement camps formed within 1 km and became sites of transferred conflict. Only 23% of dispersal attempts were successful in resolving conflict for communities, generally after extensive destruction of roost habitat. Costs were poorly documented, although no dispersal attempt costing less than AU$250 000 proved successful. We conclude that camp dispersal is a high-risk, high-cost tool for mitigating human–wildlife conflict, in situ management strategies and tools should be developed, evidence-based information on management options should be made available to stakeholders via a nationally curated resource library, and research is required on impacts of camp management practices on flying-foxes. The permanent exclusion of flying-foxes from camps (camp dispersal) near human settlements is a management tool commonly used to mitigate human–wildlife conflict. Our aim was to review the costs and outcomes of 48 camp dispersals in Australia and improve the information base on which camp management decisions are made. We conclude that camp dispersal is a high-risk, high-cost tool for mitigating human–wildlife conflict, in situ management strategies and tools should be developed, and evidence-based information on management options should be made available to stakeholders via a nationally curated resource library. Photo by Matthew Mo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little evidence for the role of plant foods in the dispersal of early modern humans into new habitats globally. Researchers have hypothesised that early movements of human populations through Island Southeast Asia and into Sahul were driven by the lure of high-calorie, low-handling-cost foods, and that the use of plant foods requiring processing was not common in Sahul until the Holocene. Here we present the analysis of charred plant food remains from Madjedbebe rockshelter in northern Australia, dated to between 65 kya and 53 kya. We demonstrate that Australia's earliest known human population exploited a range of plant foods, including those requiring processing. Our finds predate existing evidence for such subsistence practices in Sahul by at least 23ky. These results suggest that dietary breadth underpinned the success of early modern human populations in this region, with the expenditure of labour on the processing of plants guaranteeing reliable access to nutrients in new environments. Little is known about the diets of early modern humans as they dispersed into Australia. Here, Florin et al. study charred plant remains from Madjedbebe rockshelter, which show that 65–53 thousand years ago, early modern humans in northern Australia already had a broad diet of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many seabird communities are declining around the world, a trend frequently linked to climate change and human impacts on habitat and prey. Time series observations of seabirds away from breeding colonies are generally rare, which limits our understanding of long-term changes for conservation actions. We analysed a dedicated citizen science dataset of pelagic seabird abundance (86 species – 30 used for modelling analysis - from 385 trips) from two locations over 17 years (2000–2016) and a third for seven years, over the continental shelf and slope of south-eastern Australia. To estimate temporal trends and environmental drivers, we used generalised additive modelling and species archetype modelling for groups. Almost half (43%) of the most abundant seabird species declined in our study area over the 17 years. The declines may be associated with human-induced ecosystem change and represent poleward shifts in distribution out of our study area, changes in population abundance, or both. Winter-dominant groups, primarily species rarely frequenting warmer water, were often negatively associated with SST anom , while summer-dominant groups, composed of species more tolerant of temperate and tropical environments, were generally positively associated with SST anom. Widespread local declines in seabird populations are of increasing concern. Understanding the extent to which these observed declines represent real declines in abundance, or range shifts, should be a priority. Changing sea temperatures are probably contributing to both. These results from the coast of south-eastern Australia need to be placed in the context of the highly mobile study organisms and the vast spatial scale of the ocean. Long-term citizen science observations, from an array of locations around the world, promise to provide valuable insights into seabird ecology, playing a key part in seabird conservation. • We used citizen science data to describe long-term seabird trends in an understudied coastal shelf region. • Seabird occurrences were linked with oceanographic environmental variables for species and groups (i.e., archetype modelling). • Almost half (43%) of the most abundant seabird species declined in our study area over the 17 years. • We encourage use of similar pelagic birding datasets, integrated with oceanographic variables, worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines the history of the 'Jews on the Land Project', undertaken in Australia for the newly founded Museum of the Jewish Diaspora in Tel Aviv. It includes the background to Jewish communal farming settlements, particularly in Shepparton, and to the work of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society in Sydney with the establishment of Mutual Farms in 1938 to assist Jewish refugees from Nazism to settle on the land. It focuses on the history of the communal farming settlement, 'Mooringa', in Cowra, New South Wales, established by Mutual Farms. The information is based on research and oral history interviews undertaken by the author, Marcelle Marks, in the early 1980s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Over 28% of the Australian population is born overseas. Understanding where immigrants have settled, and the relative attractiveness of these places in relation to others, is important for understanding the contributions of immigration to society and subnational population growth. However, subsequent demographic analyses of immigration to Australia is complicated because (1) the population is highly urbanised with over 80% living along the coast on an area roughly 3% of the country's land mass and (2) the diversity of immigration streams results in many immigrant populations with small population numbers. OBJECTIVE The objective of this research is to develop methods for overcoming irregularities in sparse data on age-specific mortality and internal migration to estimate small area multiregional life tables. These life tables are useful for studying the duration of time spent, expressed in years lived, by populations living in specific geographic areas. METHODS Multiregional life tables are calculated for different immigrant groups from 1981 to 2011 in Australia. To overcome sparse data, indirect estimation techniques are used to smooth, impose and infer age-specific probabilities of mortality and internal migration. RESULTS We find that the country or region of birthplace is an important factor in determining both settlement and subsequent internal migration. CONCLUSIONS Overcoming sparse data on mortality and internal migration allow for the study of the relative attractiveness of places over time for different immigrant populations in Australia. This information provides useful evidence for assessing the effectiveness of policies designed to encourage regional and rural settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so‐called Asian Century has brought with it sweeping changes in the profile of migration to Australia. This paper focuses on examining post‐2000 migration from Mainland China, which has rapidly ascended to now become Australia's top non‐Commonwealth country of origin. Significantly, the profile of post‐2000 Mainland China‐born (MC‐born) migrants has changed to mirror broader global shifts towards highly skilled, education‐related, and investment‐focused migration, all of which reflect the mobility of wealthy and/or educated cohorts. Little empirical work has focused on the degree to which this change in the profile of migration has led to the formation of novel settlement patterns. This paper aims to examine the socio‐economic characteristics of MC‐born migrants in Australian cities, to identify sub‐metropolitan areas of concentration, and to visualise spatial change in settlement patterns over time. The data indicate that although Sydney is still home to half of MC‐born migrants at a national scale, the number of migrants has increased at a more rapid rate in medium‐sized capital cities such as Adelaide and Perth. Results reveal an increasingly decentralised and suburbanised concentration of MC‐born migrants at a metropolitan scale that is linked to areas of earlier Chinese settlement, or corresponding to access to educational resources and employment opportunities. The observed patterns support the segmented assimilation theory in that the spatial settlement patterns among MC‐born migrants assume variegated forms based on individuals' socio‐economic characteristics and metropolitan‐scale factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orthodox notion of agriculture cumulatively and inevitably developing from foragers' gathering practices is increasingly untenable. Recent archaeological, botanical and genetic research from Asia and Australia show precocious manipulation of plant resources that continue for millennia within a forager ideology and practice without culminating in ‘agriculture’. Australia's Kimberley is an especially productive research region with a wide range of environmental niches on a topographically varied landscape that has had human settlement spanning over the last 50,000 years. Previously characterised as ‘foragers’ until contact with travellers from Indonesia and then Europeans over the last few hundred years; new research questions this simplistic characterisation of Aboriginal people, and suggests instead a particularly complex and enduring set of people-plant relationships. This complexity is given material witness in the form of Kimberley rock art, which stands out globally in having an enormous body of direct and indirect depictions of plants, including: grasses, trees, tubers; pigment-soaked plants imprinted on rock shelter walls; anthropomorphism of plants; and plant-based material culture such as digging sticks, dilly bags, and wood-hafted stone axe. These are more than simple illustrations of a forager economic base. Instead, rock art is a primary record of long-term sophisticated physical and symbolic manipulation of plants that fits neither into the simplistic categories of ‘foraging’ or of ‘agriculture’. Rather, we have a society in which people actively chose not to pursue orthodox agriculture while according plants a central place in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines community perceptions and employment impacts to assessex antethe post-mining viability of two settlements in remote north-east South Australia. The results reinforce grave concerns over their future viability following mine closure. However, government employees and traditional owners are more optimistic than other groups about community futures beyond mining. Devastatingly, employment impacts represent approximately 80 and 75% (225 & 1616) of jobs and 90 and 80% ($30 m & $164 m) of employment income in the two locations (Leigh Creek, Roxby Downs). These impacts reach beyond mining into other sectors, particularly Public Services and Trade and Accommodation respectively, and further limit economic diversity and opportunity. Building alternative futures in remote locations like these is problematic, though not impossible. Policy responses should reflect differences in perceptions, impact and case-specific contexts: settlements at the end of their life cycles like Leigh Creek require emergency action including institutional reform; settlements still in the early stages like Roxby Downs have time to begin planning now, though not yet conceived, for a future without mining. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Access to facilities, services and socio-economic opportunities plays a critical role in the growth and decline of cities and human settlements. Previous attempts to explain changes in socio-economic indicators by differences in accessibility have not been convincing as countries with highly developed transport infrastructure have only seen marginal benefits of infrastructure improvements. Australia offers an ideal case for investigating the effects of accessibility on development since it is seen as home to some of the most liveable cities in the world while, at the same time, it also has some of the most isolated settlements. We investigate herein the connectivity and accessibility of all 1814 human settlements (population centers exceeding 200 persons) in Australia, and how they relate to the socio-economic characteristics of, and opportunities in, each population center. Assuming population as a proxy indicator of available opportunities, we present a simple ranking metric for a settlement using the number of population and the distance required to access all other settlements (and the corresponding opportunities therein). We find a strikingly unequal distribution of access to opportunities in Australia, with a marked prominence of opportunities in capital cities in four of the eight states. The two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne have a dominant position across all socio-economic indicators, compared to all the other cities. In general, we observe across all the settlements that a decrease in access to opportunities is associated with relatively greater socio-economic disadvantage including increased median age and unemployment rate and decreased median household income. Our methodology can be used to better understand the potential benefits of improved accessibility based on infrastructure development, especially for remote areas and for cities and towns with many socio-economically disadvantaged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of major contemporary concerns about urban sprawl and related externalities, this article investigates the motivations of suburban residents for choosing this lifestyle, their level of satisfaction with a low-density, car-oriented environment, and their potential interest in embracing alternative living arrangements (i.e. compact urban settings). Interviews conducted in Brisbane, Australia, reveal that the suburban dream is still very alive. A number of factors, including life stage (i.e. the child-rearing stage), lifestyle (preference for ‘peace and quiet’), space (i.e. large home and garden), affordability (i.e. exorbitant house prices in the inner city), and tradition (i.e. the Australian Dream), negatively influence suburbanites’ intention to pursue urban living. A few factors, including accessibility and, to a lesser extent, environmental consciousness and amenity (i.e. lack of safety concerns in the inner city, public transport orientation, and the good quality of city schools), positively influence people’s interest in pursuing compact urban living. Overall, the results are discouraging in terms of Australia’s urban sustainability outlook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores local media reporting about South Sudanese humanitarian migrants moving into a Victorian rural country town in Australia. In contrast with often cited negative media reporting on migrants, the newspaper articles examined positively construct South Sudanese humanitarian migrants as Australian citizens, attempting to reduce anxiety and uncertainty about the presence of these strangers in a country town without prior experience of African migrants. The news reports, however, also hint at discursive power relations within the community; locals and newcomers exist amid the supportive work of local volunteers. News stories illuminate layered cultural power defining the new relationship yet also indicate everyday possibilities for building micro-level inter-ethnic relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides an understanding of the coping strategies for successful settlement of Australian immigrants by elucidating key conceptual constructs relating to resilience development. Using qualitative descriptive methodology, 10 in-depth interviews with immigrants settling in regional South Australia between 2007 and 2012 were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify participants' meanings and realities associated with immigration and settlement. Five themes emerged around resilience, goals, settlement planning, healthy lifestyles and adaptation. A multidimensional conceptual model was created to capture how the immigrants coped and developed resilience. Findings offer insights for Australian immigrants, policymakers, and human service and health professionals, as well as academic researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective resilience is the capacity for a group or community to successfully overcome challenges to its well-being or survival. We report on (a) the development and testing of the Fletcher-Lyons Collective Resilience Scale (FLCRS), a brief self-report measure for assessing collective resilience in a group or community, and (b) links between collective resilience and individual well-being. Testing involved a baseline and follow- up survey of 420 Australian men and women. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 5-item scale with excellent levels of fit in confirmatory factor analysis, high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and high concurrent validity with other measures that approximated aspects of collective resilience. Belonging to a group with high FLCRS scores was linked with greater individual resilience, higher psychological well-being, and greater life satisfaction. The FLCRS demonstrated good validity and reliability, and may be used to assess collective resilience and its links with psychological well-being in a range of groups and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In regions that lack built structures or stratified open archaeological sites, such as precolonial Australia, rockshelters are a major source of detailed information for understanding the nature and timing of human occupation. A key concern is that the proposed ages for the earliest archaeological sites are based on luminescence dating of sediments, rather than directly of cultural materials, leaving the association between the sediments and evidence of human activity questionable. Here, we present evidence of magnetic enhancement associated with cultural horizons within the deposits of a Pleistocene rockshelter in interior northern Queensland. Soil magnetic studies combined with experimental burning show that magnetically enhanced sediments in Gledswood Shelter 1 are the result of anthropogenic burning of hearth fires, which burn hotter and for a longer time than natural wild fires. These techniques appear to work in this setting because of the nature of the local geology and the geological antiquity of the landscape. Susceptibility and frequency dependence of susceptibility signatures provide a critical tool to resolve that human occupation starts at 2.2 m depth within a stratigraphic section. In conjunction with luminescence dating, soil magnetic studies provide an opportunity for archaeologists to resolve the timing of human settlement in Australia and other intracratonic plate settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On one side are raven-size dumpster-diving parrots called sulfur-crested cockatoos; on the other are homeowners who'd like to stop cleaning up after the sloppy eaters. Like the parrots, humans learned from their neighbors, as the researchers discovered by asking more than 1000 people how they devised their cockatoo control methods. Humans and parrots battle in an "arms race" over trash in Australia. [Extracted from the article]

Some communities in remote Australia represent the most impoverished people in the country, with the problem especially acute amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Effective remedial intervention is often undermined by the absence of democratically elected, local government institutions. Place-shaping as a developmental process enables local people to become agents of change, and thereby self-determine and shape their places for the future. This paper considers the different institutional structures which could underpin place-shaping in remote settlements. Drawing on a range of governance structures, an emphasis on less traditional entities and polity-forming bodies may better serve the interests of remote people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the adoption of assimilation in 1937 and its connection to the lives of Indigenous Australians. It highlights the case of Allawah Grove Native Settlement in Perth, which was the only non-housing community due to the assimilation policy. It discusses the lack of respect for Aboriginal culture, stating that Aboriginal identity, agency and autonomy were ignored.

The threat of climate change demands that human settlements adapt to unavoidable impacts. Climate change is a complex problem that requires traditional disciplines to work together to facilitate an integrated and coordinated response to its impacts. Transdisciplinary research approaches have been recognised for being well placed to aid responses to complex problems such as climate change. This paper draws on the experience of the South East Queensland Climate Adaptation Research Initiative (SEQCARI), Australia, to reflect upon the challenges involved in undertaking transdisciplinary research aimed at developing and improving a range of adaptation options for specific sectors as well as across sectors. Challenges and learning's are discussed based on the three phases of transdisciplinary research processes: problem framing and team building, co-creation of solution-oriented transferable knowledge, and (re)integration and application of created knowledge. Four key insights are then discussed to advance transdisciplinary research approaches for climate change adaptation: adoption of a dynamic learning approach such as learning-by-doing/doing-by-learning to provide sufficient flexibility and scope to navigate potential barriers and conflicts; selection of social sciences to drive integration; choice of one sector as a platform for integration; and acknowledgement of existing barriers and limitations associated with the political context in which the research takes place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European settlement and drought have significantly impacted the hydrology of the Coorong, a shallow coastal lagoon complex in South Australia, which is part of a terminal wetland at the mouth of the River Murray. An increased salinity associated with lower water levels and progressive isolation from ocean flushes contributed to a severe decline in ecological diversity over the past decades. Here we have conducted a molecular and stable isotopic study of a sedimentary core from the northern Coorong Lagoon spanning more than 5000 years to investigate the recent palaeoenvironmental history of the ecosystem. Major alterations were evident in many biogeochemical parameters in sediments deposited after the 1950s coinciding with the beginning of intensified water regulations. The most prominent shift occurred in δ 13 C profiles of C 21 –C 33 n -alkanes from average values of −23.5‰ to an average of −28.2‰. Further changes included decreases in carbon preference index (CPI) and average chain length (ACL) of the n -alkane series as well as significant increases in algal (e.g. C 20 HBI, long chain alkenes and C 29 -alkadiene) and bacterial (e.g. 13 C depleted short chain n -alkanes and hopanoids, δ 13 C: −35.9‰ to −30.1‰) derived hydrocarbons. Long chain n -alkanes with a strong odd/even predominance as observed here are typically attributed to terrigenous plants. In the Coorong however, terrigenous input to sedimentary OM is only minor. Therefore changes in the before mentioned parameters were attributed to a source transition from a major contribution of macrophytes towards predominantly microalgae and bacteria. δD values of C 21 –C 33 n -alkanes showed a general trend towards more enriched values in younger sediments, indicating an overall rising salinity. However, the most pronounced positive shift in these profiles again occurred after the 1950s. Altogether this study demonstrates that the recent human induced changes of the Coorong hydrology, compounded by a severe drought led to an increase in salinity and alterations of primary production which have been much more significant than natural variations occurring throughout the Holocene over several thousands of years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ebb and flow of coping with Australia’s identity dilemma as a European settler society located on the geographical edge of Asia leads to bouts of agonising, excitement and temporising. This has been given particular cogency with the power shift underway from the trans-Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific. The 2012 White Paper set 25 national objectives to be met by 2025, with targets ranging from improving trade links and increasing scholarships to teaching priority Asian languages. But in this transactional embrace of Asia that highlights economic and trade links, gaps might open up between ambition and delivery, especially amidst continuing evidence of insensitivity to how Asians forge lasting relationships. Ties with China are dominated by trade but security concerns remain. Relations with India should improve with the removal of the nuclear issue as an irritant and growing trade and tourist numbers. Japan remains an important trade and diplomatic partner. And geography and demography ensure that Indonesia is no less important to Australia than Asia’s big three. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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