2013

On Wednesday 13 February 2013, the House Standing Committee on Regional Australia tabled its report on the inquiry into the use of ‘fly-in, fly-out’ (FIFO) workforce practices in regional Australia entitled 'Cancer of the bush or salvation for our cities? Fly-in, fly-out and drive-in, drive-out workforce practices in Regional Australia'. Re ....

The African Risk Capacity (ARC) pool is a proposed pan-Africa drought risk pool that would insure against drought risk in Africa south of the Sahara. Donors and, to at least a notional extent, member countries would pay annual premiums. In return, if, for instance, satellite weather indexes call for a response to a severe drought, the pool would ....

This paper discusses an empirical research study based on a community consultation process for the development of an integrated children and families centre. Conducted in Western Australia in 2009, the consultation was designed specifically for the Noongar Aboriginal community, drawing on Indigenous research methods and sociocultural theory. The ....

In the contemporary debate about remote Indigenous economic development, Jon Altman’s hybrid economy approach is the major alternative to the dominant neo‑liberal perspective. Altman’s approach emphasises the continuing customary economic activity of remote‑living Indigenous Australians and their legitimate aspirations to live and work on ....

Multifunctional agriculture, including value-added agriculture, has drawn the attention of different stakeholders (government, farmers) interested in maximising the potential of farming operations and strengthening rural communities. This preliminary study aims to investigate value-added agriculture, including the extent to which food growers con ....

Collection of Irrigation Australia's 2013 Regional Conference papers fron Griffith NSW on the 28-30 May. Report LocationClick here to access the full report ....

Agricultural investments in Australia are innately risky, as evidenced by the variability in climate, commodity prices and the exchange rate over the last decade. These risks, when combined with the banking reforms that followed the global financial crisis, have caused many banks to be more conservative in their lending policies. For farmers, esp ....

Over recent years, regional Western Australia has faced increased challenges associated with ensuring the availability of a skilled and flexible workforce. It has become increasingly difficult to secure the labour required that would enable regions to meet their full economic and social potential due to the combination(s) of: • rapid economic g ....

Attracting and retaining a skilled labour force is a critical yet complex issue for rural and remote communities. This article reports the findings of a study investigating the current approaches to attraction and retention in two separate Australian regions. Building on previously developed models, this research analyses the roles employers and ....

This article provides a case study analysis of the social, economic and ecological impacts of open-cut coal mining in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales (NSW) from the beginning of the resources boom in the early 1990s to the present.   The article draws on secondary and grey literature relevant to open-cut coal mining in the Upper ....

This study investigates the influences on nursing student learning who live and learn in the same rural environment. A declining health workforce has been identified both globally and in Australia, the effects of which have become significantly apparent in the rural nursing sector. In support of rural educational programs the literature portrays ....

The purpose of the Living in the Regions 2013 survey was to ascertain what attracts people to the regions, to understand the barriers to living in the regions, to measure the quality of life in regional Western Australia, and to use that information to inform and direct regional development initiatives into the future. Report LocationClick here ....

The level of concentrated market power in the Australian grocery retail industry is unprecedented: Coles and Woolworths now collectively control 74% of market share.This shift in market power is neither temporary nor cyclical, but has in fact created a fundamental structural change that is expected to remain for years to come. Whilst consumers do ....

This paper reviews adaptation actions in climate change strategies by four urban Queensland coastal councils (e.g. Cairns, Gold Coast, Redland, and Sunshine Coast), and two community-based climate action plans for Bribie Island, and the Noosa Biosphere. The actions in these six plans are analysed for their adaptive response categories: Emphasisin ....