TACKLING THE BIG ISSUES SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY, PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE The School is engaged in a great diversity of research all over the world, using a wide a range of methodologies. Our projects address the numerous global issues affecting the natural and built environments and have far reaching implications for people and the environments in which they live.
The School carries out research across the globe in from the remote icy plains of Antarctica to the densely populated cultural epicentres of Europe. The following pages provide an overview of the projects in which the School is currently involved.
Contents The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management
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World Class Facilities and Resources
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Opportunities for Research Students
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Teaching and Learning
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The Big Issues Climate Change and Adaptation
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Sustainable Cities
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Marine and Coastal Processes and Management
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Sustainable Livelihoods
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Conservation and Natural Resource Management
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Research Centres and Groups
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Academic Staff and Areas of Research Interest
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Research Staff
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Funding Bodies and Supporters
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Cover photo of diver by Chris Roelfsema
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The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management (GPEM) is focused on discovering new knowledge and finding practical solutions to the big issues that will affect us all; such as climate change, urbanisation, population growth, conservation and natural resource management. This publication profiles the diverse range of research undertaken by the academic and research staff and research higher degree students in The School. The research that you will read about is aimed at improving understanding of the natural, cultural and built environments - how these interact and how to ensure we sustain and enhance these for future generations. High quality world leading research underpins all of our activities in the School and directly informs and supports our teaching activities. This profile provides an overview of where, why and how we do research, and how it is used to understand, model, construct and manage a diverse range of natural, cultural and built environments from local to global scales. Our School’s success in these areas is the result of its truly multidisciplinary structure which brings together physical and social scientists, environmental management specialists and planners. This integrated multi-disciplinary approach is what sets the School apart in the Australian context and gives it an internationally recognised reputation for inter-disciplinary research, research training and teaching. The following pages show the diverse range of issues that our staff work on. Our research activities and research training programs provide fundamental understanding and solutions to issues at the local, regional and global scales. Please contact us if you think our School can help with a research problem, or if you are interested in research training in this area. Yours sincerely,
Professor Jamie Shulmeister Associate Professor Hamish McGowan james.shulmeister@uq.edu.au h.mcgowan@uq.edu.au Head of School Director of Research and Reader in Climatology
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The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management (GPEM) at The University of Queensland is at the forefront of cutting-edge research into the widely debated issues confronting us today. It is a vibrant and multidisciplinary School boasting world class facilities and staff.
The School forms part of the Faculty of Science, which is the largest and most diverse of the University of Queensland’s faculties. It is widely recognised and awarded for its quality of teaching, the strength of its graduates and its world leading research.
This research profile provides an introduction to the School, showcasing its research and significant outcomes which provide valuable insight into the ‘big issues’ including:
The School has a solid research foundation and one of its greatest strengths lies in its diversity. It takes an integrated approach to the pressing issues confronting the natural and built environments. The School is able to offer a truly multidisciplinary perspective by employing expert teaching and research staff and fostering collaboration between disciplines.
• Marine and Coastal Processes and Management
The School has strong links to industry and works extensively with all levels of government on a number of joint projects. It also operates in a consultancy capacity, taking a leading role in policy development to ensure adequate planning for the future at a local, national and global level. The School is dedicated to continuous improvement and is proactive in its pursuit of new partnerships on which to grow its expertise.
• Climate Change and Adaptation • Sustainable Cities • Sustainable Livelihoods • Conservation and Natural Resource Management It is not possible to profile all the significant research projects being conducted within the School but this profile aims to provide you with a snapshot of the School’s leading-edge research across its many disciplines. We invite you to explore more fully the research accomplishments and capabilities of the School by visiting our website www.gpem.uq.edu.au Please contact the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management or the research staff directly to discuss any issues of interest. Ph: +61 7 3365 6455 Fax: +61 7 3365 6899 Email: gpem@uq.edu.au
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World Class Facilities and Resources
Photo by Chris Roelfsema
Photo by Sean Fitzgibbon
The University of Queensland combines modern infrastructure with a culture that champions research excellence. As a result students and staff at the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management have access to cuttingedge resources and technology.
Other specialised • Physical Geography Laboratories capable of Electron Microscopy and Isotope Analysis • Image processing facility • Marine Laboratory • Studio space
The School offers extensive computing resources, well equipped laboratories and dedicated postgraduate facilities as well as state-of-the-art laboratory and field equipment and studios.
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• Climate Station and Portable Weather Stations • Field and Surveying Equipment including Total Stations, rafts, RTK-DGPS, Automatic Samplers and Loggers • Dedicated field and safety staff
facilities include; • A comprehensive suite of scientific instrumentation enabling the collection of a wide range of in situ hydrological, atmospheric and climatological data including ground penetrating radar; ceilometers (for measuring cloud fields and atmospheric boundary layer structure); eddy covariance systems; acoustic sounders; micro-rain radar; automatic weather stations; kite and blimp sounding systems; radiosonde systems and a extensive range of ancillary meteorological sensors.
• 24 hour access computer labs with specialised applications such as −− General statistical, demographic and climatological analysis software −− Extensive statistical data sets including census information and surveys covering Australia and other world regions. −− Atmospheric modelling software −− Leica Geosystems including ERDAS Imagine and Leica Photogrammetry Suite; ENVI/IDL; Definies Developer, eCognition and all ESRI ArcGIS products −− Google sketchup, QSR nVivo, SPSS - stats package and a wide range of other statistical packages
• Access to Australia’s most extensive marine science teaching and research facilities, with field stations in the Great Barrier Reef (Heron Island), Low Isles and Moreton Bay (North Stradbroke Island). • Access to boats and vehicles for field studies • UQ Library has one of the largest collections amongst academic libraries in Australia and by far the largest in Queensland.
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RESEARCH THAT MATTERS School research staff and students are at the forefront of major international initiatives to better manage our natural and built environments. Multifaceted research projects are undertaken at the School investigating a spectrum of issues, from managing the population boom in South-East Queensland to assisting with poverty reduction in South-East Asia. Governments, agencies and industry across the globe draw on the knowledge and practical skills of the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management staff to help solve contemporary problems.
Opportunities for Research Students Research students at the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management are able to concentrate on their areas of research interest and work on projects of national and international significance in a unique interdisciplinary environment. A strong research culture exists within the School and the sharing of ideas between staff across disciplines is encouraged. The School provides leadership and support for its research staff and we will ensure that as a student with us you will have access to supervisors, mentoring programs, excellent resources and professional development initiatives.
As a research student with GPEM you will benefit from: Expert Staff Many of the School’s staff are internationally recognised leaders in their field and are dedicated to the continual advancement of knowledge. The School attracts and retains world-class staff who secure nationally and internationally competitive grants and frequently publish in the leading academic and industry journals and work in partnership with government and industry. Many of the School’s staff have specific research interests and contribute to the School’s leading research centres. www.gpem.uq.edu.au/our-people A Reputation for Excellence The University of Queensland (UQ) is an international leader boasting a culture of research excellence and is consistently ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide1. UQ received ‘above world standard’ ratings in more areas of research than any other Australian university in the 2010 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Report. www.uq.edu.au/research Harnessing these strengths the School has developed and refined its research competencies. As a result, the School of GPEM is renowned for its excellence in research, engagement with industry and its substantial contribution to social and environmental issues. The School’s research excellence is clearly demonstrated by its success in winning competitive grants, frequent publication in international books and journals, its Influence in shaping government policy and its representation on peak advisory. 1* Times Higher Education ‘World University Ranking’ 2011; Shanghai Jiao Tong ‘Academic Ranking of World Universities’ 2011; and QS World University Ranking 2011
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A Unique Interdisciplinary Perspective
Industry Engagement
Contact
The structure of the School is unique within Australian higher education, as it combines teaching and research coupling the natural and built environments. This mix is a result of the University’s distinctive and progressive approach to combining fields of study that foster collaboration and integrated solutions, creating stronger synergies between research areas to generate outcomes that adpot a broader perspective.
The School of GPEM has strong links to industry and government. Many of our research students are working on projects that use these linkages either through joint supervision or by investigating solutions to real world problems for these companies and organisations.
Please contact the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management at postgrad.gpem@uq.edu.au if you are interested in undertaking a research higher degree, or if you have any enquiries.
Professional Development The UQ Career Advantage Program for PhD Students is a unique, free program that provides innovative training activities and career development opportunities for PhD students. The program offers a multi-faceted research training experience and is designed to accelerate career development, encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration, and enhance employability. If you choose to participate your core focus will remain on your research project, but you will also be able to take advantage of additional opportunities to enhance professional development and build transferable skills and have this formally recognised. www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/career-advantage-phd
Social Interaction We understand that research students require a creative, sharing environment in which to pursue their research. This is why a great deal of importance is placed on social interaction and students and staff are encouraged to socialise at regular networking events hosted by the School. Scholarships Research students can apply for a number of scholarships. Please visit the UQ Scholarships website: www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/scholarships-and-fees for more details.
Examples of current Research Higher Degree projects can be found at www.gpem.uq.edu.au/student-projects
Alumni Profiles of successful graduates can be viewed at www.gpem.uq.edu.au/profiles More information about UQ for International Students, including the study environment, links to estimated living costs, refund policies, support services, information for students with families, and your legal rights as an international student can be found at: http://www.uq.edu.au/ international-students
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Teaching and Learning
The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management Advantage GPEM has a record of high quality teaching, recognised by international and Australian teaching awards, and there is demand from employers for our graduates. GPEM’s programs cover the geographical sciences, professionally accredited planning degrees and multidisciplinary environmental management degrees (offered at bachelor and masters levels). The School is uniquely placed at the interface between understanding human activities and environmental processes, and the management and governance responses needed to address global problems. This multidisciplinary approach as well as current research by staff is embedded into student learning. The school also places great importance on engaging with adjunct staff, alumni, and government and industry professionals to ensure that students have practical knowledge and skills to effectively tackle the big issues. Our graduates are shaped into tomorrow’s leaders through a number of unique projects. Enhancing academic skills Online learning tutorials have been created to enhance core academic skills and close the gap between student and university expectations. They address referencing, graphical presentation, and team work and offer our graduates improved skills for university and workplace performance. GPEM academic skills development programs and research have won UQ and international awards. The Academic Integrity: referencing and avoiding plagiarism tutorial, developed by GPEM researchers, is now deployed university-wide (with international interest for further distribution) and is a key strategy in improving student knowledge of good academic practices.
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The School recognises that students are learning in new and exciting ways and invests significant resources into the development of e-learning and emerging technologies. Current research into how students and staff use e-learning technology will inform the School’s planning and delivery of programs. Effective transitioning for our students GPEM recognises that the transition to university can be daunting and difficult. For over 15 years The School has offered Peer-assisted study sessions (PASS) as a core part of the undergraduate first year experience. Participating students enjoy significant improvements in both academic achievement and social integration. GPEM researchers are also examining the transition to university of post-graduate coursework students, many of whom come from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. In conjunction with students, staff are developing a peer mentoring program to further facilitate students’ seamless progression through their postgraduate programs and into the workforce. Field Work Field work is essential to our students’ learning experiences and is embedded into many of our programs. Trips can range from a few hours to several weeks, in settings such as Heron Island and the Great Barrier Reef, Stradbroke Island, northern Queensland, Redland Bay, Hong Kong and Vietnam. They provide outstanding practical experiences for students and encourage ‘deep’ approaches to learning.
Tackling the big issues
Climate Change and Adaptation
Climate change is real and humans play a significant role in its progression. Even if we cap greenhouse gas emissions now our world faces a century of rising temperatures, changing climates, amplified weather extremes and rising sea levels. This will in turn affect biodiversity and biological distributions of plants and
animals and realign borders. How we adapt to this changing climate is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today, making research in this area crucial to understanding our future.
processes of climate and climate change. They are producing innovative ideas and solutions on what we can do to mitigate the effects of climate change and manage those that are now inevitable.
The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management’s staff and students are investigating the basic 11
Does pollution inhibit rainfall in Queensland’s South East? Like all natural systems, the atmosphere is a complex environment with many physical and chemical interactions taking place at a range of spatial and temporal scales. In recent years the global science community has been focussing on climate change; and in Australia, the expectation that prolonged droughts will have negative effects, on population and environment is growing. Since 2000 a number of studies have indicated pollution in the atmosphere may inhibit rainfall. This study advances knowledge in the field of climate science – using remote sensing, weather models and geo-statistics to explore the relationship between aerosol, cloud development and rainfall in South-east Queensland. In particular, it investigates whether anthropogenic aerosols (pollution) are inhibiting rainfall. Water scarcity is an environmental, economic, social and engineering challenge and understanding these processes will assist governments in planning for what seems likely to be a hotter, drier future. Researchers: Michael Hewson, Assoc Prof Hamish McGowan and Prof Stuart Phinn, Funding: APA, Qld Gov Smart Futures Email: h.mcgowan@uq.edu.au, m.hewson@uq.edu.au
Aerosol size distribution (Angstrom exponent) calculated from SEQ from the European Space Agency ENVISAT satellite for 30th April 2009. Warm colours are large aerosol size (such as sea salt) and cool colours are small aerosols (such as biogenic or anthropogenic emissions). Bright land surfaces and clouds inhibit aerosol size calculation. Note the relatively smaller aerosol size in southern Moreton Bay possibly indicating atmospheric pollution.
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Enhancing the resilience of seaports to a changing climate. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from RMIT University and The University of Queensland is collaborating with industry and government bodies across Australia on a project to help climateproof the nation’s seaports. The project aims to enhance the resilience of Australia’s seaports under a changing climate and will deliver state-of-the-art assessment methodologies and decision support toolkits which will inform infrastructural, functional, and institutional responses to climate change. Researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the vulnerability of seaport infrastructure to climate related hazards and investigate measures, such as new materials, design and management strategies, that will enable adaptation to future climate change This data will also be used to produce a measurement of the resilience of ports, which will be disseminated nation-wide. A report and a series of training and awareness raising workshops will be delivered as part of the dissemination process. The project will foster opportunities for international engagement with other major ports such as London, Rotterdam and New York through engagement with a new port cities network. Researchers: Dr Jonathan Corcoran (UQ), and from RMIT Prof Darryn McEvoy, Dr Jane Mullett, Assoc Prof Sujeeva Setunge, Dr Tom Molyneaux, Dr Kevin Zhang, Prof Brian Corbitt, Prof Nilmini Wickramasinghe, Assoc Prof Prem Chhetri, Dr Victor Gekara Funding: NCCARF (www.nccarf.edu.au) Email: jj.corcoran@uq.edu.au
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Floods and Droughts: predicting the extremes Snowy Hydro Limited and The University of Queensland are carrying out research to better understand variability of climate and in-turn, inflows in waterways and catchments of the Snowy Mountains. By sampling the snowpack, and rain and snowfall events over the Snowy Mountains region the researchers are able to trace the oxygen isotope signature back to a specific precipitation event. This will form the basis for understanding how these weather events have varied and affected inflows of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers in response to climate cycles rarely, or not recorded in the instrument records.
Knowing the isotopic signatures of specific weather events will allow a picture of the dominant precipitation bearing weather patterns over the Snowy Mountains and headwaters of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers to be better understood, and how these relate to climate variability such as El Ni単o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The results of this research will enable more informed predictions of the likelihood that drought or flood frequencies will increase or decrease that under various future climate states. It will make a significant contribution to understanding questions that underlie better informed water resource planning and decision making in the Snowy Mountains region and in the headwaters of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.
Researchers: Dr Nikolaus Callow (UQ), Assoc. Prof Hamish McGowan (UQ) & Mr John Denholm (Snowy Hydro Limited)
Funding: Snowy Hydro Limited Email: h.mcgowan@uq.edu.au Figure 2: Dr Nikolaus Callow (UQ) with a snow pit showing layers of accumulated snow and the oxygen isotope results for different layers of snow deposited during different events.
Figure 1: Computed water vapour trajectory pathways for three selected events (12th August, 25th August & 1st September 2010).
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Going to extremes to save our climate Climate change is the most urgent environmental, economic and social issue facing Australia and the world. The concentration of greenhouse gases has grown rapidly in recent decades, and is expected to continue well into the 21st century, increasing the risk of a dangerous climate change. There is a growing realisation that avoiding dangerous and irreversible climate change will be difficult. It has the potential to impact on water security, agricultural production and biodiversity conservation, and cause damage beyond the capacity of ecosystems and agriculture to recover or adapt. With this in mind all viable options for mitigation and adaptation need to be explored urgently. A study by GPEM scientists will, for the first time, simulate the contribution of reforestation to mitigate climate change, especially extremes, at a regional scale. It is highly innovative as it proposes that regional reforestation could be a viable option for mitigating the impact of climate extremes resulting from an increased concentration of greenhouse gases. The experimental design will develop a comprehensive dataset of the vegetation/land surface characteristics to model and explore different options for targeted reforestation in eastern Australia.
The Earth’s ecosystems have numerous possible pathways depending on the climate change mitigation actions undertaken decades prior.
The goal of the modelling experiments is to evaluate the potential contribution and feasibility of reforestation as an effective measure to mitigate the regional impacts of global warming, including climate extremes. It will also provide information on new options for policy development and natural resource management strategies for the affected regions. Successful implementation could lead to an increased ability by the Australian landscape to buffer against climate extremes driven by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. Researchers: Assoc Prof Clive McAlpine, Mr Jozef Syktus, Dr Justin Ryan and DrJianting Chu Funding: Australian Research Council Linkage Project Email: c.mcalpine@uq.edu.au
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Past predicts our climate future A team of scientists led by Professor Shulmeister from the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management are working on a project that aims to demonstrate how climate systems in SE Australia responded to large scale global change during Australia’s last ice age, about 21,000 years ago. Their research may have significant impacts on climate models currently used for predicting climate change, as much of Australia’s understanding of past climates is based on very old and incomplete data. Almost 80% of Australia’s population and agricultural and industrial production falls in the region being investigated, making significant economic and environmental impacts likely as a result of altered climate systems. Resolving this problem is of critical importance to Australia’s long term ability to manage and mitigate climate and environmental changes. The research team believes that the current understanding of climate change at the peak of the last ice age in Australia requires either a re-organisation of regional climate systems or a major re-evaluation of the inferred climate history. These alternative hypotheses will be tested by constructing accurate temperature and paleo-hydrological estimates for the glacial maximum. Either outcome is significant for understanding climate system responses and the resilience of Australia’s plants and animals to climate change. Researchers: Prof James Shulmeister, Dr Craig Woodward, Dr Timothy Cohen (Macquarie), Dr Kevin Kiernan (UTAS), Dr Timothy Burrows (Exon), Dr Justine Kemp (Northumbria), Dr Kathryn Fitzsimmons (MPI-EVA) and Dr Douglas Clark (WWU). Funding: Australian Research Council Discovery Grant Email: james.shulmeister@uq.edu.au
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Ancient Larvae answer climate riddle Ancient chironomid larvae in lakes could provide part of the answer to how climate change has affected Australia’s weather over the past 21,000 years. The heads of the larvae (called head capsules) are made of a substance called chitin that is resistant to decay. In the right conditions, the larval head capsules can be preserved for hundreds of thousands of years as fossils in the layers of mud at the bottom of lakes. The chironomid head capsule is like a time capsule, the chemical composition of the head-capsule records a snapshot of environmental conditions in the lake in the season the larvae were living. This method can then be used to investigate changes in rainfall, up to thousands of years ago. This is important as current records do not provide a clear picture on how rainfall varies in Australia over long periods.
This is vital research as the existing climate models used in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions are unable to accurately forecast climates where boundary conditions have changed beyond the range of modern observations and where thresholds are exceeded. Investigating past climate records is the best available way of examining variability beyond modern ranges and predicting outcomes for the future. Researchers: Prof James Shulmeister, Dr Craig Woodward, Dr Timothy Cohen (Macquarie), Dr Kevin Kiernan (UTAS), Dr Timothy Burrows (Exon), Dr Justine Kemp (Northumbria), Dr Kathryn Fitzsimmons (MPI-EVA) and Dr Douglas Clark (WWU). Funding: Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, UQ New Staff Startup Research Grant Email: james.shulmeister@uq.edu.au, c.woodward1@uq.edu.au
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Koalas feel the heat With significant rises in temperature and longer and more severe droughts predicted to occur under future climate change researchers from The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management are trying to identify refuge areas for Koalas under these conditions. The researchers believe that under a future hotter and drier climate, current koala distributions will likely shift to eastern and southern regions where koala populations are already under threat due to high human population densities and ongoing pressures from habitat loss, dog attacks and vehicle collisions. By modelling the areas of optimal habitat for koalas under future climate change researchers will be able to inform conservation planning actions and ensure valuable resources are not wasted. In the case of the koala, dry inland habitats are likely to become climatically unsuitable, increasing the need to protect and restore coastal habitats, which are under threat from urbanisation.
National and regional koala conservation policies need to anticipate these changes and synergistic threats before it’s too late. This research is being undertaken by the Koala Research Network, a group of over 60 researchers from universities and government departments and private groups working with koalas. Researchers were called to present their findings on the impacts of climate change on koala populations to the 2011 Senate Inquiry into the status, health and sustainability of Australia’s koala population. Researchers: Dr Christine AdamsHosking, Assoc Prof Clive McAlpine, Dr Jonathan Rhodes, Dr Hedley Grantham, Dr Patrick Moss Funding: UQ Special Graduate School Scholarship, NCCARF Email: c.mcalpine@uq.edu.au, c.hosking@uq.edu.au
Photo by Andrew Smith
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Tackling the big issues
Sustainable Cities
This rapid population growth will present significant challenges for transport and land-use planning, ensuring access to services, shaping economic development and preserving quality of life. It also calls Over the next three decades 2 billion for careful management of urban sprawl extra people will be added to the world’s population and all of them will live in cities, to protect biodiversity and our natural environment. mostly in Asia and Africa. The year 2008 marked a crucial turning point in our history as urban populations came to outnumber rural populations for the first time.
The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management is investigating these issues to generate new knowledge, ideas and solutions to assist governments and communities globally.
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Source: Ryan, J.G. (2007). PhD Thesis.
Public Participation GIS FOR LAND USE PLANNING Research led by Associate Professor Greg Brown seeks to improve local and regional land use planning through greater public involvement and engagement with planning processes. Dr. Brown’s research combines public participation methods with geographic information systems technology (GIS) to help professional planners and politicians better understand public values and environmental trade-offs in land use decisions. The research method, called public participation using GIS or simply PPGIS, engages ordinary people in important land use decisions that affect their current and future quality of life. The supposition of the research is that land use planning can be more effective by including “lay” people whose understanding comes from their knowledge and experience of living in the planning area. Dr. Brown believes that spatial technologies such as GIS, GPS, Google Maps, and other participatory mapping techniques provide new opportunities for increasing engagement of ordinary people in land use planning decisions. Researchers: Assoc Prof Greg Brown (UQ), Dr. Delene Weber (University of South Australia), Dr. Pat Reed (U.S. Forest Service), Dr. Jessica Montag (U.S. Geological Survey) Funding: Parks Victoria, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service Email: greg.brown@uq.edu.au
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Genes, Biodiversity and Urban Planning Across the globe, and in Australia, people live in regions that are generally rich in biodiversity and these regions are becoming increasingly urbanised as populations grow, with over half of the world’s population now living in cities. However, how we should plan for urban growth so as to minimise impacts on biodiversity is still not well understood. This project is developing new approaches that combine genetics, spatial modelling and decision theory to help understand and identify optimal planning strategies for maintaining the viability of mammals in regions undergoing urbanisation. A key innovation is that we are using genetic data to providing quantitative information on the ability of mammals to move through the urban landscape; an important determinant of the ability of many species to persist. This information is then being integrated into spatial models of species’ distributions to provide robust approaches for evaluating the implications of alternative urban planning strategies for a range of species. Through linking these models with economic and social objectives we are working with local councils in South East Queensland to identify preferred planning strategies for conserving koalas, gliders, antechinus and bandicoots within the context of rapid urban development. This work has broad implications for how we link ecology and planning to achieve sustainable urban development. Researchers: Dr Jonathan Rhodes & Assoc Prof Clive McAlpine & Dr Ann Peterson & Dr Rachael Dudaniec (UQ), Dr Jessica Worthington Wilmer (Queensland Museum), Dr Frank Carrick (Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation) Funding: Australian Research Council Email: j.rhodes@uq.edu.au
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Child and Youth Friendly CITIES The needs and aspirations of children and young people are often overlooked in the planning, design and management of our cities and neighbourhoods. Redland City Council, through its community planning and engagement activities, identified broad community support for ensuring their community responds to and supports the aspirations of children and young people. Officers from Redland City Council and researchers from the University of Queensland and Griffith University reviewed principles and good practice for child and youth friendly cities and combined this learning with insights gained from local children’s design workshops, site observations, a review of Council policies, plans and guidelines and reflections on our own experiences as parents to develop a framework to assist Redland City Council to create and assess child friendly placesin both urban centre and open space settings. The process deliberately sought to impact existing Council practices and policies across program areas. This differs with some approaches to working with local governments on child-friendly cities where the focus on achieving specific accreditation (through the UN Child-Friendly Cities initiative) requirements has tended to stimulate a range of new activities and under-emphasised the necessity to work with all parts of Council. The project outputs of a Child and Youth Friendly Policy, Child and Youth Friendly Indicators and a Child and Youth Friendly Design Guide are of interest to all Local Governments, urban designers and planners. At the Planning Institute of Australia (QLD) awards this project received the highest accolade in the Best Planning Ideas - small or local project category. Researchers: Laurel Johnson (UQ), Assoc Prof Geoff Woolcock (GU) Funding: Redland City Council Email: l.johnson3@uq.edu.au
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SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FUTURES FOR CITIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
With climate change already happening and affecting the lives of individuals, not just in developed cities but most especially in developing cities, this study examines the potential role of indigenous transport towards increasing community resilience while minimizing vulnerability.
period in Dhaka, Bangladesh. During this period, only rickshaws have the operational capacity
Indigenous transport modes are defined as modes developed by locals to suit the needs of a specific local population, and well-adapted to a specific local context, condition and culture. Some examples would be paratransits such as the Philippine jeepneys and Indonesian angkot, two-wheeler ojeks and non-motorised three-wheeler pedicabs. While indigenous transport modes have been operating for decades in various developing cities, regulations tend to limit their presence without considering their overall contribution to the transport system. This, however, does not paint a complete picture as indigenous transport does contribute in various capacities. For example, cycle-rickshaws complement mainstream public transport by serving as to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Bogota (Colombia); motorcycle taxis serve as a transport alternative often competing with existing public transport in Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam); and in areas with a pronounced lack thereof, cycle-rickshaw Dhaka (Bangladesh) fills in the service gap, even claiming to offer better service than mainstream transport while at the same time enhancing mobility of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, women and children. Their continued presence in developing cities, either formally or informally, further justifies their importance to the transport sector.
role of indigenous transport in four Asia-Pacific cities, namely: Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam),
Previous interventions to mitigate climate change were not adequate, therefore, planning for adaptation has become an important agenda to address climate change impacts wherein indigenous transport provides a feasible strategy to increase the adaptive capacity of communities. For example, IT modes provide mobility during the annual monsoon flooding
to provide the much needed mobility and access to different parts of the city. This Study offers a different perspective in exploring and understanding the meaning and Baguio City (Philippines), Bandung City (Indonesia) and Bangkok (Thailand). The study aims to: (1) document the presence of indigenous transport system within selected Asia-Pacific cities; (2) identify the role of indigenous transport modes in climate change adaptation and its potential for mainstreaming into the policy context; and (3) explore its wider socio-economic impacts in developing countries. Outcomes of the study will provide policy-relevant insights to better understand the role of indigenous transport and establish trends and prospects in climate change adaptation within developing cities in Asia and the Pacific. It will advance the knowledge base in transport planning, contribute to preserving local transport knowledge and provide a link to past, present and future generations. Funding: Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies - International Cooperative Research Activity (EASTS-ICRA) Researchers: Dr Iderlina Mateo-Babiano (Australia),Dr Danielle Guillen (Philippines), Dr Tri Basuki Joewono (Indonesia),Dr Yusak Susilo (Sweden, Indonesia), Dr Brian Canlas Gozun (Philippines),Dr Michelle Parumog-Pernia (Philippines), Dr Jane Romero (Japan, Philippines) and Dr Sorawit Narupiti (Thailand). Email: i.mateobabiano@uq.edu.au
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Counting temporary populations Official population statistics count people where they usually live, but population numbers in many localities are in a constant state of flux as visitors and workers come and go. The true population may rise and fall sharply over the course of a day, a week, or a season. Measuring these changes and understanding what drives them is crucial, both for planning government services and facilities, and for private business. The Queensland Centre for Population Research has a wide ranging program of research aimed at understanding the dynamics of this movement and estimating temporary populations. Circuits of Movement People spend time away from home for many reasons. This project classified temporary movements into two broad categories – those that are related to some form of consumption, such as tourism, or visits to friends and relatives, and those that are work-related, such as seasonal agricultural labour, and fly-in-fly-out mining. Some temporary moves, like the seasonal moves of sunbirds, and attendance at conferences and conventions are more difficult to classify. These many forms of movement all have different temporal and spatial signatures, and a key part of the project is to identify how they vary in terms of timing, duration, frequency and seasonality, as well as their spatial pattern and extent. The Centre is now investigating the feasibility of using new information and communication technology data, such as mobile phone usage, to measure these movements. Researchers: Prof Martin Bell and Dr Elin Charles-Edwards Funding: Australian Research Council, The University of Queensland Email: martin.bell@uq.edu.au
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Counting Visitors Official population statistics typically consist of a single figure indicating the number of people who live in a locality or region, but the true population count fluctuates widely as visitors come and go, with major impacts on the demand for goods and services. Researchers in QCPR have developed a range of tools to estimate these ‘service populations’, as they are becoming known. At the regional level, the Centre has developed a simulation model, based on data from the Census and the National Visitor Survey, which shows how visitor populations fluctuate from month to month. This model is being used in concert with survey data collected by research partner Queensland Treasury, to produce estimates of temporary populations for parts of Queensland’s Bowen basin, one of Queensland’s resource intensive regions that attracts large numbers of fly-in fly-out workers. At the local level, the Centre has also used cutting edge technologies to monitor the rise and fall of population on the UQ St Lucia campus, and measure how the number of beach-goers on Noosa’s main beach changes over the course of the day. Researchers: Dr Elin Charles-Edwards, Prof Martin Bell Funding: Queensland Treasury, The University of Queensland Email: e.charles-edwards@uq.edu.au
UQ population grows, but bridge keeps it green On any day of the year, the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus is thronged with staff, students and visitors, but how many people are there on campus at any one time? Accurate counts are needed if the University is to provide adequate facilities, and manage the movement of people in, out and around the Campus. But there is no easy source of statistics. QCPR tackled the problem using a combination of infrared and pneumatic counters situated at 10 strategic points around the campus, coupled with data from Translink, and an internet survey of staff and students. The results put the Campus population at almost 22,000 on a weekday in the middle of second semester 2011, up by 27 per cent on the figure of 17,140 recorded in a similar survey in 2002. The chart shows the daily variation – numbers rise rapidly after 7am, plateau between 10 and 2, then fall steadily.
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Email: martin.bell@uq.edu.au e.charles-edwards@uq.edu.au
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Researchers: Prof Martin Bell, Dr Elin Charles-Edwards
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Construction of the Eleanor Schonell bridge has made a major impact on the travel behaviour of the University population improving access to the St Lucia Campus from Brisbane’s southern and eastern suburbs and reducing travel times from the CBD. More than 10,000 people, many of whom would have previously travelled to campus by car, now cross the bridge each weekday by bus, on foot, or by bike. The development of this green transport infrastructure has contributed tangibly to the sustainability of The University of Queensland’s St Lucia Campus.
Population
Underpinning these numbers, there are more than 42,000 movements onto and off the Campus every day. This is equivalent to a capacity crowd at the Gabba, and confirms that the University of Queensland is one of Brisbane’s largest daily traffic generators. Overall, the number of visitors has increased by 7,000 since 2002, but this growth has been achieved without any increase in the volume of traffic on St Lucia roads. In fact, 3,000 fewer people travelled to campus by car than in 2002. Instead bus patronage has doubled and there has been a 70 per cent increase in people travelling by bicycle and on foot.
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The development of a creative economy Governments and councils across the globe are realising the importance of nurturing opportunities for business and industry to invest in their region. Research by Dr Sebastien Darchen is investigating recent economic development policies targeting creative economy activities in Brisbane and Melbourne. By studying both the policy-making phase and the implementation aspect of recent economic development policies targeting the New Media industry in Brisbane and Melbourne the project will determine if these policies are strongly informed by the local context or rather the product of ideas circulating on a global scale through specific networks In a context of economic competitiveness, city marketing and urban planning play a decisive role in promoting urban environments likely to attract creative industry firms and their associated workforce. This project will identify the strategies in place for both cities and their effects on the development of New Media economy clusters. Researchers: Dr SĂŠbastien Darchen Funding: School of GPEM (UQ) Email: s.darchen@uq.edu.au
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Tackling the big issues
Marine and Coastal Processes and Management
Over 70% of our world is ocean with a coastline almost equal in length to the distance from the earth to the moon. These environments include some of the richest sources of biodiversity on the Earth,
they provide us with food and medicine, are the backbone of many industries, and the medium for most international trade. With so much depending on our marine and coastal ecosystems it is important
Photo courtesy of Chris Rohner. A PhD student studying the Biological and Oceanographic Influences on Whale Shark Abundance and Feeding Ecology
that we learn to understand the processes that govern these environments and take steps towards managing them effectively to ensure their long-term viability.
Coral Reef and Seagrass Mapping, Modelling and Monitoring Coral reefs and seagrass environments along the coasts of Australia and our Asia-Pacific neighbours are essential resources for subsistence, tourism and extractive industries, while also providing significant biodiversity and coastal protection. These environments are under increasing disturbance impacts from human development and natural disasters. Understanding the impacts of these pressures and conservation of these environments requires management to have relevant mapping, monitoring and modelling programs implemented. Our research activities in the seagrass beds of Moreton Bay and coral reefs within the Great Barrier Reef combine field survey and satellite image data to map the types of coral and seagrass present, and their change over time. Changes in the extent and properties of seagrass or coral reefs are identified using satellite image data sets collected at regular intervals over long periods of time. In 2011 some of these activities assessed the impact of the 2011 Brisbane floods on Moreton Bay’s seagrass cover, by comparing maps of seagrass extent and cover levels from images collected just after the flood to those collected several years ago. For Heron Reef, in the southern Great Barrier Reef, field and image data are used to create detailed maps showing the types of coral, algae and sediment zones that provide a basis to better understand role of primary production of the different benthic components at reef scale. Techniques developed and tested in Moreton Bay and Heron Reef are also being applied over larger areas in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, with the latter focussing on Roviana Lagoon, in Solomon Island to provide information to better understand and manage the
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effects of sea level rise on the coral reef and seagrass beds. The data sets developed in these studies are also being used to create seagrass and coral risk models; to understand the resilience of seagrass and corals to flooding and/or sea-level rise. Characteristic of our coral reef and seagrass research projects, is the collaboration with local management agencies and community groups to develop approaches that can be applied directly for their science, monitoring or management needs. Often field techniques, such as georeferenced benthic photo transects, are transferred to local teams to assist with field data collection, providing capacity building and increasing community participation. Funding and support: Australian Research Council, University of Queensland, Ecological Health Monitoring Program, Healthy Waterways Partnership, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services, Department Environment Water Heritage and Arts, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, CSIRO, Digital Globe, University of South Pacific, Wildlife Conservation Society-Pacific, South Pacific Applied Geosciences Committee and AUSAID. Researchers: Dr Chris Roelfsema, Prof Stuart Phinn, Mitchell Lyons, Robert Canto, Muhammad Kamal, Novi Adi, Dr Javier Leon, Nick Murray, Maria Zann, Dr Megan Saunders, Dr Eva Kovacs and Rodney Borrego Email: c.roelfsema@uq.edu.au, or s.phinn@uq.edu.au
Rising Seas, Coastal Ecosystems and Coastal Communities Rising Seas, Coastal Ecosystems and Coastal Communities Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where 75% of the Australian population lives. Our current understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited. GPEM’s Dr Tiffany Morrison is leading a project to investigate the conservation and urban planning impacts of this scenario. A secondary aim of the project will be to investigate how governance frameworks are sensitive to climate risk. This information will be integrated to assess the adaptive capacity of South East Queensland to sea level rise. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidisciplinary researchers and Super Science Fellows to explore the threats and challenges posed by rapidly rising sea levels. By building capacity and answering many urgent and difficult questions related to the legal, environmental and planning ramifications of sea level rise, this project will prepare assist communities and government at all levels to develop more proactive and coordinated climate adaptation responses. Researchers: Dr Tiffany Morrison, Prof Hugh Possingham, Dr Andrew Griffiths, Dr Sarah Derrington, Dr Morena Mills, Dr Andrew Kythreotis, Dr Justine Bell Funding: ARC Super Science Fellowships Email: t.morrison@uq.edu.au
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Water management tools make things crystal clear Coral reefs, like The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are complex, species-rich shallowwater marine ecosystems with economic importance produced by fisheries and tourism income. Reduced water quality and clarity is threatening this resource and contributing to coral reef bleaching and accelerated mortality. In order to manage these issues there is an urgent need for reliable water clarity products for shallow water environments. A partnership between the US space agency, NASA, and The University of Queensland is developing an operational algorithm for processing satellite imagery to map water clarity and light availability in coral reef waters. Specifically, this will take the form of maps of ocean colour products in space and time for all natural waters of the GBR, and ultimately for application to other coral reefs. The outcomes of this research will provide tools and products to coastal managers, in applications where these are currently unavailable to them, to address important scientific questions including how ocean ecosystems and biodiversity are influenced by climate and environmental variability, and how these changes occur over time. Researchers: Dr Scarla Weeks (UQ), Dr. Peter Fearns (Curtin), Dr. Miles Furnas (AIMS), Dr. Zhongping Lee (Boston Uni), Dr. Lachlan McKinna (UQ/Curtin), Dr. Bryan Franz & Dr. Jeremy Werdell & Dr. Gene Feldman (NASA) Funding: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant, NASA, The Great Barrier Reef Foundation Email: s.weeks@uq.edu.au
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Moreton Bay Goes Wireless Core to many aspects of environmental management is the assessment and monitoring of environmental change. After the 2011 floods in Queensland the first prototypes of the Smart Environment Monitoring and Analysis Technology (SEMAT) were deployed to assess their impact on the environmentally sensitive area of Moreton Bay. The network of sensors will allow scientists to measure the impact of the Brisbane River floods on a large area of the bay. This information will help them to understand how the floods are impacting upon life in the bay and what it is that is causing some of the plants and animals to die. The sensors will also allow people from anywhere in the world to dial up and look at what the conditions are in the bay, to observe over time the changes and to monitor the health of our coast. SEMAT project leader Associate Professor Ron Johnstone said the land-based floods and increased output from the Brisbane River are expected to have significant and long-term impacts on Queensland’s coastal ecosystems.
The network of underwater sensors have been sending real time data on coastal habitat health, light, temperature, turbidity and salinity straight to the laptops of scientists studying the environmentally fragile bay. With two successful deployments in critical ecosystems (Moreton Bay and The Great Barrier Reef) the SEMAT system is now entering its third phase and seeking to commercialise the system. Using underwater radio-frequency communication the technology will enable scientists to better monitor areas such as the Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay where the effects of climate change are already being identified. This information in vital for informing future management of our marine reserves and fisheries regions. Researchers: Assoc Prof Ron Johnstone (UQ), Dr Tony Chiffings, Prof Niel Bergman, Assoc. Prof Ian Atkinson (JCU), Prof Cesare Alippi, (Milan), Prof Rudolfo Zich (Torino). Funding: Queensland NIRAP Granting Scheme, Milan Foundation, Torino Wireless, and the collaborating Universities. Email: r.johnstone@uq.edu.au
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Sustainable seafood and health Seafood is an important food source and is known to have a variety of health benefits. A number of health agencies recommend that people increase their seafood intake to promote good health. To meet these dietary recommendations, we should consider whether they might jeopardize long-term fisheries viability. Global fish demand has doubled since 1973, and the FAO reports that by 2008 more than 28% of the world’s fish stocks were over-exploited or depleted. Although much growth in demand is met by aquaculture, this produces lower omega-3 fatty acids and has environmental concerns and production constraints. Some have questioned the merits and sustainability of health agencies continuing to promote increased fish consumption to improve community health. However, when the NHMRC reduced emphasis on fish in a recent draft update of Dietary Guidelines for Australians, it drew sharp criticism from health and industry groups. A further issue of sustainability is the carbon footprint of different fisheries. On average, 1.7 tons of CO2 is emitted for each ton of live weight of fish landed, but this varies between fisheries because of the different fishing methods used (e.g. demersal trawls, gillnetting, longlining, aquaculture). Further, the carbon footprint for fish imported into Australia is greater than locally caught fish. This debate is at the centre of concerns about community health, resource management, environmental health, greenhouse gas production
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and food security. A lack of cross-sector analysis contributes to misunderstandings and ineffective policy responses. Implications for food security and health risks for vulnerable groups in Australia are not understood. The aim of this research project is to determine the most environmentally sustainable means of meeting nutritional demands from fish in Australia, considering the long-term viability and carbon footprint of fisheries. Food security is a global concern, but guidelines on nutritional requirements are frequently divorced from a sound evaluation of environmental sustainability. This project combines UQ expertise in Food / Nutrition with environmental expertise in fisheries sustainability. This cross-school project is highly multidisciplinary and addresses several key questions concerning the provision of adequate nutrition from a resource that is threatened by over-exploitation and climate change. Moreover, the project will make specific, clear recommendations on environmentally sustainable levels of fish consumption that meet nutritional demands. The project will also quantify the carbon footprint associated with Australia’s fish food requirements and identify opportunities to reduce these impacts Researchers: Assoc Prof Geoff Marks, Dr Anthony J. Richardson, Dr John Kirkwood, Prof Peter Mumby Funding: Global Change Institute Small Grant Email: j.kirkwood@uq.edu.au
Changing currents in governance and management Australia’s marine environments are at risk from the impacts of human-induced climate change. With these changes come concerns over the adequacy of current marine protected areas. Present management may not be sufficient for future protection under a changing climate.
challenge to current conservation norms and demand a significant rethink. As current marine conservation arrangements have been designed for more stable climatic conditions, they are likely to be deficient in essential capacities for supporting and enabling change management.
Already an increase in instances of coral bleaching and the shift of some marine species as they adapt to warming sea surface temperatures have been observed. Designs for any protected area need to consider flexible options such as fuzzy boundaries, strategically located reserves, broad-scale connectivity, and sympathetic management of buffer zones.
This project addresses the significant need to review agility of conservation governance and management. The likely effects of human-induced climate change on marine biodiversity raise questions about adaptive capacity of current governance and management systems and their ability to support the resilience of marine ecosystems.
This research is a response to the need for adaptive governance and management responses to climate change-induced shifts in the structure and composition of marine ecosystems and habitats.
The project will examine the barriers to implementing adaptation and policy responses as well as investigate institutional governance, intervention strategies and decision-making processes for the conservation of marine biodiversity and the integrated management of marine reserves in a changing climate.
Maintaining the natural resilience of ecosystems should be a key principle of conservation governance and management to prevent ecosystems crossing thresholds and shifting into alternative less desirable states. While some suggested responses of marine species and ecosystems to climate change impacts will necessitate straightforward improvements in implementation of current governance and management arrangements, others will pose a
Researchers: Dr Michael Lockwood (UTAS), Prof Marc Hockings (UQ), and also from UTAS Dr Julie Davidson, Assoc Prof Marcus Haward, Dr Lorne Kriwoken & Ms Robyn Allchin Funding: Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Email: m.hockings@uq.edu.au
Photo by Chris Roelfsema
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Migrating mantas Large filter-feeding organisms such as manta rays, whale sharks and baleen whales are major tourist attractions that underpin many eco-tourism ventures worldwide. The predictability of these animals is a key feature for the industry, but what drives their movements and migrations is poorly understood. This project uses the inshore manta ray as a model to examine how variables like oceanographic conditions, climate, food resources and behavioural interactions influence the movements of individual animals on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Outcomes will advance our understanding of how environmental conditions affect a species’ distribution in time and space. The research will also result in the development of a simple modelling tool to investigate climate change impacts on food supply and determine whether altering the concentration of food stocks will affect the species distribution and conservation status. This modelling tool will provide muchneeded predictions to guide management and policy decisions, as well as inform and help prioritise field studies.
Photo by Fabrice Jaine
Implications of this study extend to many commercially important fish stocks that rely on the productivity of the oceans; productivity that is predicted to be influenced by climate change.
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Researchers: Dr Michael Bennett, Dr Scarla Weeks, Dr Anthony Richardson, Dr Kathy Townsend, Fabrice Jaine, Lydie Couturier Funding: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant Email: s.weeks@uq.edu.au
Tackling the big issues
Sustainable Livelihoods
The way in which we live and work impacts directly upon the resources of the planet and the well-being of mankind. Our consumption of food, energy, and material goods needs to achieve a harmonious balance with the natural resources of the planet. Social and
economic systems will need to adapt to our rapidly changing world. The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management’s research into sustainable livelihoods explores the trade-offs taking place that affect people’s ability to live in an economically,
GPEM PhD student, Jeremy Bourgoin, investigating how to negotiate sustainable landscape management in Northern Laos.
ecologically, and socially sustainable manner. It will develop knowledge and techniques that can be applied to promote and manage these trade-offs to encourage more sustainable societies that are able to adapt to their environments and provide for future generations. 35
Mapping disadvantage Unequal access to resources and services among neighbourhoods (known as spatial disparity) and the concentration of social disadvantage has become a significant issue in Australia. Studies have shown that those living in socially disadvantaged locations consistently have poorer health and wellbeing outcomes. Spatial disparities, when combined with regional divisions and political and ethnic tensions, have added significance that can undermine social and political stability. By overlaying social, economic and rental housing data visually on a map Dr Liu is hoping to discover whether they fit together in certain areas to contribute to social disadvantage. While there are many studies describing and measuring the unequal distribution of services and the concentration of social disadvantage in Australia and overseas, research focusing on the rental housing market and whether this may generate or reinforce social disadvantage is limited.
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In particular, little has been done in measuring the spatial disparity between the supply of and the demand for private rental housing, and whether this impacts upon social disadvantage. Dr Liu hopes to use her research to influence policy and improve outcomes for those who live in disadvantaged communities. She believes the results from the project will enhance our understanding of whether the private rental housing sub-market contributes to the overall concentration of social disadvantage. It will add to the existing evidence base on concentrations of social disadvantage and marginal rental housing markets that can be used to develop sustained and effective intervention to assist highly disadvantaged communities. Researchers: Dr Yan Liu Funding: UQ Early Career Research Grant Email: y.liu@uq.edu.au
Lifecycle analysis tool: promoting progressive practices There are continuing pressures and community expectations for the sugar industry to further mitigate the environmental impacts of cane growing, particularly in relation to protection of the Great Barrier Reef. This project builds upon previous life cycle assessment (LCA) of Australian sugarcane and aims to develop a user friendly, streamlined tool that will make LCA of sugarcane more accessible to extension officers, researchers and possibly growers. It is intended that the tool will be used to generate environmental performance information about cane growing practices to aid extension efforts in the promotion and development of progressive cane growing. The project is a joint venture effort between the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) and UQ. It draws together BSES’s interest in better understanding the environmental impacts of cane growing and promoting progressive cane growing practices, and UQ’s capabilities in modelling the environmental impacts of different cane growing systems. By enabling end users to conduct quick and easy LCAs growers are likely to receive significant economic benefit and communities will reap the environmental rewards. Researchers: Dr Marguerite Renouf, Dr Peter Allsopp, and Dr Bernard Schroeder Funding: Sugar Research and Development Corroboration Email: n.price@uq.edu.au
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A carbon price may benefit farmers Scientists at UQ, in collaboration with JCU, may have found a way to offset up to 2.5% of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions and secure economic benefits for regional communities. The study found that reducing grazing pressure in Eastern Australia’s mulga lands would result in an increase in groundcover and water infiltration and retention capacity in the soil, and have the added benefit of reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and storing it in soils and plants. The results of this research could lead to alternative land uses in the outback which can increase the social, economic and environmental resilience in those areas said Dr Bradd Witt, lead investigator on the project.
Photo by Michelle Venter
If carbon was to be priced appropriately vast improvements could be made to the management of some agricultural lands, potentially benefiting the environment and regional communities.
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Quantifying the amount of carbon that can be absorbed by a particular environment, allows farmers to calculate how much CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere by simply rezoning their land. If the government were to introduce a price on carbon alongside their carbon tax the financial incentive for farmers to change the use of their
land from grazing to carbon sinks could see Australia reduce its carbon emissions significantly. Research of this type has been limited in Australia, but with the recent introduction of the carbon tax its implications are significant for the Australian economy. The potential to sequester carbon and improve biodiversity outcomes in extensive semi-arid grazing lands will require significant policy shifts to encourage and reward necessary landuse change. The project came into being after the researchers noticed a lack of knowledge on the carbon sequestration potential of the dry areas of Australia, and the potential for land use change to provide greater economic resilience to communities in these regions with the implementation of a price on carbon. The group of scientists believes that further research extended across a variety of environments is needed to ensure an accurate picture is provided for policy makers. Researchers: Dr Bradd Witt (UQ), Assoc Prof Bob Beeton (UQ), Prof Neal Menzies (UQ), Prof Michael Bird (JCU), Michelle Venter (JCU) Funding: Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Email: bwitt@uq.edu.au, r.beeton@uq.edu.au
Sustainable mining communities
Restoring the balance: mining, food and ecosystems Mining and agriculture contribute approximately 10 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product making the sustainable development of these sectors critical to the country’s long term economic growth and well-being. However, this growth is leading to degradation of landscape ecosystem function and the loss of ecosystem services.
The resources boom in Australia has led to significant changes in the locations of employment in the mining sector, however little is known about the implications of these changes on the sustainability of mining communities. Most of the work that has been done has focused on the negative implications of the flyover effect, rather than the positive opportunities for local and regional communities. As a country rich in mineral resources, Australia has a significant number of communities affected by mining. These comprise large mining towns with mixed economies, small company towns and coastal/regional towns with significant fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in-drive (DIDO) populations. This three year project will develop a more holistic understanding of such communities, identifying key planning dimensions that need to be addressed in order to achieve quality of life and socially sustainable community outcomes
within mining regions. For instance, without adequate planning the increasing trend for large numbers of mining employees to base themselves at the coastal and urban centres and travel out to the mining communities for shift work blocks can create intraregional labour market shortages, infrastructure bottlenecks and housing affordability issues.
Community reaction will curtail production in these sectors where function and services continue to be lost. This project addresses the demand for accurate scientific information, needed by industry and government, to understand ecosystem responses to change, and to develop optimal conservation interventions that take account of the costs and benefits in landscapes where the intensive mining industry intersects with extensive land uses for food and fibre production. Researchers: Prof Damian J Barrett, Prof Stuart R Phinn Funding: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant Email: s.phinn@uq.edu.au
Planning for socially sustainable communities is as much about the cost of social infrastructure and services as it is about the social and political license to operate. Governments, corporations and communities require modelling, analysis and advice in order to coordinate and plan for sustainable communities, services and infrastructure. Researchers: Dr Tiffany Morrison, Dr Jonathan Corcoran, Prof Martin Bell Email: t.morrison@uq.edu.au
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Photo by Chris Roelfsema
Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations Plan
Cultivating an algal economy The products that can result from algal cultivation are numerous and diverse: human and animal food products, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals including substrates for biomaterial production, and bioenergy feedstock. As such an algal economy represents a sustainable fuel, material and food supply. Research into the use of algae for the sustainable production of bio-fuels in Queensland is currently underway at The University of Queensland. It will identify where the key inputs for algal production are available in sufficient quantities - point sources of carbon dioxide (from power stations etc.), nutrientrich wastes (from livestock operations), sunlight and water (fresh and saline), and map these to locate regions where production may be viable. It is hoped this work will inform policy development in relation to the future adoption of the innovative technology. Researchers: Dr Marguerite Renouf and Ms Penny Prasad (UQ) The project is lead by Dr. Steven Pratt and Prof Paul Lant (Chemical Engineering) and also includes Prof Ben Hankerman and Dr. Ian Ross (Institute of Molecular Biosciences). Funding: Global Change Institute Small Grant Email: p.prasad@uq.edu.au
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The Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN) is a group of Traditional Owners who are custodians of the Traditional region of the Northern Basin of the Murray Darling Basin. Laurel Johnson is working with the NBAN to assist them to prepare a Corporate Plan that identifies their vision, values, goals and priority actions for the traditional area.
Researchers: Laurel Johnson Funding: Murray Darling Basin Authority, Commonwealth Government, Laurel Johnson Planning Consultant Email: l.johnson3@uq.edu.au
Indigenous Resources Stewardship Despite being part of the natural environment for thousands of years Indigenous people are often denied a place at the natural resource management table. While co-management agreements exist, this research demonstrates that such frameworks perpetuate many of the barriers between scientific and Indigenous ways of thinking. This project explicitly compares and contrasts Western and Indigenous ways of knowing and the range of different management styles and situations in Australia, the United States, Thailand and India. Through this comparison the researchers have been able to prepare an innovative, alternative example of co-management, the Indigenous Stewardship Model. This model provides a central role for Indigenous constructs of stewardship of the land, developing a common language that allows for balanced contributions from Western land managers and Indigenous communities and has the potential to transcend some of the usual barriers to equal partnerships in natural resources management. Researchers: Dr Annie Ross (UQ), Prof Kathleen Pickering Sherman (Colorado State University), Dr Jeffrey Snodgrass (Colorado State University) Dr Henry Delcore (California State University Fresno), Richard Sherman (Oglala Lakota natural resources manager) Funding: The University of Queensland, Colorado State University, California State University Fresno Email: annie.ross@uq.edu.au
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People on the Move
The 21st Century has been characterised as the Age of Migration. Mobility is essential to an efficient global economy, while for individuals it is the main mechanism to meet daily needs and pursue long term aspirations. QCPR has a suite of research projects aimed at better understanding the nature of human mobility in the modern world:
fairly young age, whereas in Indonesia and the Philippines, migration peaks at a later age
• Graduate Destinations. Human capital is essential for growth and development. While this process continues throughout the people’s lives, the period between leaving school and joining the workforce is a crucial, formative stage in individual development. Migration is an essential process enabling people to develop their ‘human capital’ but this movement often robs towns and rural areas of young people. QCPR projects are using cross sectional and longitudinal datasets to examine the spatial mobility of school leavers and tertiary graduates in cities, towns and rural areas of Victoria and across Australia. These projects will increase our understanding of how spatial mobility intersects with educational and occupational pathways in the transition to adulthood; identify the factors that attract and retain young people in non-metropolitan areas; and will also provide practical insights to guide policy on regional development and the retention of human capital (SEE MAP).
differences in mobility.
• Comparing Mobility Around the World. The average Australian moves house more than 13 times during their lives whereas for people in Britain and other European countries, the figure is more like 6 or 7 moves. People also move at different times of life, depending on the country they live in. For example, the diagram shows that people in China move at a
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and is higher at older ages. On the other hand it is the Vietnamese who have the highest rates of mobility. QCPR is developing statistical indicators which measure these differences and undertaking research across 150 UN member States to explain the reasons for these • Journey to work. The journey-to-work is a habitual routine for most people - a significant component of everyday life, which in South East Queensland alone accounts for 1.3 million daily trips. Understanding the complex dynamics of this movement is vital if planners are to design transport systems that meet the needs of growing populations whilst adhering to sustainability principles. Research on the journey-to-work within QCPR is targeted at developing and applying advanced geographical and statistical modelling techniques and contributing to the discussion and debate on sustainable transport, peak oil, urban design and the work-life balance. Researchers: Prof Martin Bell, Dr Jonathan Corcoran, Dr Elin Charles-Edwards Funding: Australian Research Council; United Nations Development Program; Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network; The University of Queensland Email: martin.bell@uq.edu.au, jj.corcoran@uq.edu.au, e.charles-edwards@uq.edu.au
Graduate flows for Australia’s States and Territories in 2006
Journey-to-work (Source: youthconnect.climateofconcern.org/cc_blog/article.php?a=96&section=youthvoice)
China Indonesia Philippines Vietnam
12 9 6 3
85+
75 80
60 65 70
55
40 45 50
30 35
5 10 15 20 25
0
0
Proportion moving over 5 years
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Age
Age profile of migration in Selected Asian countries
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Livelihoods analysis and food systems Subsistence-based societies in impoverished nation states, such as those in the Pacific need to embrace a cash economy to improve their livelihoods if they are to break free from the tyranny of long term generational poverty. The research in this project focuses on two nations, the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and investigates whether a market-driven Whole of Supply Chain (WoSC) approach to agrifood systems provides opportunities for improved livelihoods in local communities without adversely impacting on traditional economic, social and cultural ways of life. Researchers are comparing the market potential in Marovo Lagoon in the Solomons with the more established agrifood systems in Tonga. There are similar issues in both Solomon Islands and Tonga relating to market-based food production, although in Tonga there is some more movement toward market-driven development at the local level which might prove to be a useful exemplar of the advantages and disadvantages of agrifood development for other small Pacific Island nations. Researchers: Dr Annie Ross, Assoc Prof Kim Bryceson Funding: Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) Email: annie.ross@uq.edu.au
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Tackling the big issues
Conservation and Natural Resource Management
With the world’s population expanding rapidly, pressure on our natural resources is greater than ever before. Maintaining a healthy environment is critical for our survival and this in turn depends on maintaining essential ecological processes, biodiversity and environmental quality.
Research on environmental management in the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management spans the continuum from natural ecosystems and biodiversity conservation to management of rural and urban systems, pollution control and environmental impact assessment. This research encompasses
the biophysical and social sciences and also law, policy and management aspects needed to effectively address environmental issues.
The costs of conservation Conservation reserves are at the core of strategies to protect biodiversity, ecosystem services, cultural heritage, and recreational resources. Yet, even within reserves, these natural assets are at risk if funds for management are insufficient. In this context, modelling management costs of reserves is critical to ensuring their adequate management. This study is the first of its type in any Australian jurisdiction and will set new scientific standards for estimating the funds needed to manage Australian reserves to explicit standards. It will also shape subsequent research and management throughout Australia and further strengthen Australia’s international leadership in conservation planning and management. The kinds of factors that influence management effort are generally understood but rarely linked quantitatively to costs. This project will develop models that will help economically manage protected areas by guiding the location and design of new reserves, minimise longterm management liabilities, and identify shortfalls between current and required management funding. Researchers: Prof Bob Pressey (JCU), Prof Marc Hockings (UQ), Dr Ian Cragie (JCU) Funding: Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management; National Parks Association of Queensland Email: m.hockings@uq.edu.au
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Population forecasting for a sustainable future Growth of the human population is one of the major environmental issues of our time. In October 2011 the global population passed the figure of 7 billion, on its way to 9 billion by mid century. Understanding the scale, distribution and composition of population growth is imperative if society is to manage its impacts. Accurate forecasts are needed to guide the use and distribution of resources, estimate greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, the numbers of people likely to be affected by climate change and other statistics required to plan for a more environmentally sustainable future. The Queensland Centre for Population Research has a wide ranging research program which aims to improve the accuracy and utility of demographic forecasts at a variety of geographical scales. Current projects include: • Probabilistic Projections. QCPR has developed a new probabilistic forecasting model to chart the uncertainties around Australia’s future population growth. Rather than consisting of a single number, probabilistic forecasts are expressed as a distribution of possible populations with probabilities that the future population will lie within certain intervals. The graph presents new QCPR projections for the total population of Australia out to mid-century. By 2031 we estimate there is a 67% chance, or 2 to 1 odds, that the total population will lie within the range 28.1 million to 31.0 million, and by 2051 it spans the range from 32.7 million to 39.6 million. These projections provide much greater information than the conventional approach based on low, medium and high projections.
• Population Ageing. As the baby boomers enter retirement, and life expectancies increase, society faces spiralling health costs, especially for the very elderly. QCPR has broken new ground by extending population forecasts at the highest ages up to super-centenarians (aged 110 years and above) to provide detailed forecasts of Australia’s rapidly growing very elderly population. By 2051 our projections forecast there will be about 200,000 Australians over the age of 85. • Modelling Metropolitan Growth. UQ’s Large Scale Urban Model was funded by an ARC Linkage grant to provide government with a sophisticated computer model that helps explore the size and shape of settlement in Southeast Queensland in years to come, and examine the links between where people live, and where they work. The only fully functioning integrated urban model in Australia, it generates forecasts of populations and household numbers for 1km grid squares, taking into account land availability, zoning, local amenities and attractiveness, as well as economic forces
The past and projected growth of Australia’s population, 1971-2051
Researchers: Dr Tom Wilson, Prof Martin Bell, Dr Jonathan Corcoran Funding: Queensland Treasury, Australian Research Council, University of Queensland Email: tom.wilson@uq.edu.au The past and projected growth of Australia’s very elderly population (85+), 1951-2051
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History helps habitat
The native grasslands of the Surrey Hills region of northwestern Tasmania have been recognized, since the 1820s, as being unique because they occur as isolated areas surrounded by forest. There is currently a debate about the overriding processes that maintain these open landscapes in a predominantly forested environment, with views ranging from Aboriginal burning being the key factor, to natural climatic processes or a combination of the two factors. Understanding the history of
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these grasslands, through pollen and charcoal analysis, is the key to successfully managing these high conservation value landscapes. This research will produce a vegetation and fire history of the area that will provide insight into the age of the grasslands, as well as examine the role that fire, particularly human burning, may have played in maintaining these communities over the last 15,000 years. This will in turn help managers develop fire management strategies that will maintain their boundaries,
as well as provide significant information on the type of landscape mosaic that should be preserved in the area. Researchers: Dr Patrick Moss (UQ), Mr Robert Onfray (Gunns Limited), Dr Peter McIntosh (Forest Practices Authority Tasmania), Dr Craig Woodward (UQ). Funding: The University of Queensland. Email: patrick.moss@uq.edu.au
Photo by Xuan Thuan Nguyen
Protected Area Management Effectiveness In an on-going international collaboration researchers are working to produce a global review of management effectiveness evaluations of protected areas. The project has assembled and analysed studies of management effectiveness from around the world. The researchers will collect, collate and analyse information from current assessment systems in protected areas to develop a system for integration of management effectiveness information into the World Database on Protected Areas. Researchers: Prof Marc Hockings, Dr Fiona Leverington, Collaborating researchers from Oxford University, Copenhagen University and many NGOs and other institutions around the world Funding: WWF International UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, The Nature Conservancy, Global Environment Fund Email: m.hockings@uq.edu.au
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The Joint Remote Sensing Research Program The Joint Remote Sensing Research Program uses satellite and airborne imaging to map, monitor and model our terrestrial, atmospheric and aquatic environments and their dynamics. The program translates research to operational processes to meet government monitoring requirements. The program’s aim is to increase Australia’s capacity to conduct research using remote sensing and convert it to operational procedures for use in environmental monitoring and management policies at local, state and national scales. The JRSPR is a collaborative program that combines research, research training expertise and infrastructure from the Biophysical Remote Sensing Group at the Centre for Spatial Environmental Research, with remote sensing groups supporting the Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian governments. These programs also provide critical information to the space agencies in the U.S., Europe and Japan, who operate satellite imaging systems, and to the global science community who use
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the algorithms developed in the program. The program’s activities are of critical importance to the state governments of Queensland and New South Wales who use the programs research results to understand and inform policy decisions’ and legislated monitoring activities. Key research initiatives include: • Development of automated imagegeoregistration software • C alibration of airborne and satellite-based camera systems • D evelopment and assessment of Landsat sensor replacement options and procedures • D evelopment of fully corrected time series images • A tmospheric and topographic correction of satellite imagery • I ntegration of field, LiDAR and imaging radar to map vegetation structure and biomass
A major accomplishment for the program has been to acquire and process over 35 years of Landsat satellite imagery collected every month over Australia for consistent environmental monitoring. This extensive archive has significantly improved capabilities into the study of changes and trends in land cover over time. Researchers: Professor Stuart Phinn, Christian Witte, Dr Peter Scarth, John Armston, Neil Flood, Dr Michael Schmidt, Tim Danaher, Dr Tony Gill, Adrian Fisher, Andrew Mellor, Andrew Haywood, Dr Kasper Johansen, Rebecca Trevithick, Dr Chris Roelfsema, Mitchell Lyons, Robert Canto Funding: The Queensland Department Environment and Resource Management, New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage and the Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment, The University of Queensland, The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network Email: jrsrp@uq.edu.au
Conservation in reality, not just on paper The allocation of protected areas on its own does nothing to improve outcomes for biodiversity; it is the decisions made about accompanying changes to management regimes which are vital to the success of national parks as a conservation tool. In the absence of appropriate management, species can continue to decline even in relatively large protected areas. In Queensland’s Brigalow Belt, a national biodiversity hotspot, large areas of forest currently used for timber production are to be converted to conservation reserves. This is an important opportunity to secure and conserve at-risk fauna populations
in the subtropics—but appropriate conservation management of subtropical forests in Australia remains a significant knowledge gap. To help ensure the conservation potential of these forests will be realised, this project evaluates how forest management factors influence subtropical forest fauna. In particular, fire regimes which promote faunal diversity at the scale of entire landscapes—rather than just individual forest stands—will be explored. Ultimately, the project will result in spatially explicit guidelines for optimal habitat management at multiple
levels of scale. These guidelines can then form the basis of adaptive management approaches to ongoing restoration and conservation management in new and established protected areas in the region. Funding: Department of Environment and Resource Management Researchers: Dr Martine Maron (UQ), Dr Teresa Eyre (DERM) Email: m.maron@uq.edu.au
Photo by Alison Howes
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A regional analysis of the boom in coal and coal seam gas Agricultural landscapes in post-industrial societies are in decline and under threat from rapid mineral resource extraction. New understanding of the opportunities and threats for socio-ecological resilience of these systems is urgently required to cope with land clearing, energy demand, macro-economic pressure and land use conflict. The boom in coal mining and coal seam gas extraction in Queensland(post 2004) has already generated regional-scale impacts on land use, communities and the environment. The speed of development necessitates an urgent understanding of what is already available and what is required in the way of data, models, planning and assessment. This study will explore socio-economic, institutional, ecosystem and political aspects of the resilience of Australia’s Bowen and Surat Basins, from 1998 to today. It will include a gap analysis of existing models and data, development of a new model of land use change, a review of the existing planning and regulatory frameworks against this model, and the provision of recommendations for future research and policy. Analysis of the opportunities and threats for resilience by the researchers will provide insights into how the Australian land use planning system could be further developed and will identify generalised pathways for improved governance of rapidly transforming multiple use landscapes around the world. Researchers: Dr Tiffany Morrison, Assoc Prof Clive McAlpine, Dr Jonathan Corcoran Email: t.morrison@uq.edu.au Image on Right: Conceptualised landscape and groudwater impacts of coal seam gas extraction in Queensland (Morrison and McAlpine, forthcoming)
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RESEARCH CENTRES AND GROUPS
The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management supports research activity across all of its fields of expertise organised into a number of research groups and formally constituted Research Centres. The centres and groups work closely with industry, NGOs and government on
a number of projects. These productive partnerships provide innovative solutions that address some of the big issues faced by our society. The School’s groups and centres are staffed by highly qualified leaders in their respective fields and are able to provide world leading research, consultancy,
training, workshops, analysis tools, policy advice and other services with practical applications. With close links between disciplines and access to The University of Queensland’s world class facilities these centres and groups are well placed to deliver effective outcomes for their partners.
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Centre for Spatial Environmental Research (CSER) The Centre for Spatial Environmental Research (CSER) uses spatial data collection, analysis and modelling techniques to understand changes to our environments. The centre’s work is focused around collaborative projects with private industry, all levels of government and non-government organisations in Australia and overseas. These projects solve problems and develop capacity within industry, NGO’s and government to use spatial information. The centre operates as a collaborative and constructive mechanism to build on its participant’s skill and expertise. It also houses a unique collection of equipment, image and field databases, software and operating protocols for collecting airborne/satellite image data, and field survey data in terrestrial, atmospheric and aquatic environments and is comprised of two main research groups; (1) Biophysical Remote Sensing (2) Landscape Ecology and Conservation Engagement Most of the centre’s funding is from nationally competitive Australian Research Council funds, as well as large scale collaborations with government and industry. These activities and formal links with state and national agencies place CSER at the forefront of applied remote sensing and landscape ecology for understanding and managing our natural and built environments. A major initiative has been the development of Joint Remote Sensing Research Program with the state governments of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. This agreement provides a means for these agencies to use satellite image data for legislated monitoring and management activities. The approaches used by the Centre are now being transformed into an online toolkit which will assist other groups to use remote sensing to better monitor and manage specific environments. www.gpem.uq.edu.au/cser-rstoolkit
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Services/Products • Reports for targeted research and consultancies • Equipment and protocols for field data collection, e.g. spectrometers, GPS linked field-photos • Software for automated image analysis, spatial data collection/analysis/ modelling • Specialised techniques for linking field data to satellite image data and producing/validating time series maps of environmental parameters • Educational materials for techniques in image processing • Online manuals and toolkits for remote sensing applications, environmental monitoring and modelling • Customised training and workshops for industry, nongovernment and government agencies • Development and delivery of instructional material for techniques in image processing, spatial analysis and landscape ecology • Development and delivery of materials and workshops for establishing and implementing environmental monitoring programs using field/image data and modelling approaches Email
Prof Stuart Phinn s.phinn@uq.edu.au
Website www.gpem.uq.edu.au/cser
Landscape Ecology & Conservation Group (LEC) The Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group is a diverse mix of academics, researchers and students. The core strength of the group is expertise in cutting-edge spatial analysis skills and the tackling of globally important environmental management questions such as climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation in humanmodified landscapes. It works across a range of temporal and spatial scales utilising field surveys or vegetation and wildlife, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), and ecological and spatial modelling to understand and provide policy guidance for; • The consequences of human modification of landscapes for biodiversity conservation • The linkages between climate and landscape/land use change and biodiversity • Multifunctional approaches to sustainable landscape management and restoration Engagement The group is part of The Centre for Spatial Environmental Research and has strong links with local, state and federal governments, and has important impacts on policy and decision making at each of these levels of government. Services/Products • Planning guidelines and tools for biodiversity conservation • Biodiversity policy advice and consulting Email Website Assoc Prof Clive McAlpine c.mcalpine@uq.edu.au
www.gpem.uq.edu.au/lec
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Biophysical Remote Sensing Group (BRG)
This group uses satellite and airborne images, field-work and spatial models to better understand and manage the earth’s environments and resources, and includes the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program. (Biophysical) Remote Sensing is concerned with the collection and analysis of remotely sensed data to measure, map and monitor biophysical properties in terrestrial, atmospheric and aquatic environments. There are several established groups within BRG: • Joint Remote Sensing Research Program • Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network – Auscover: Queensland and New South Wales Node • Biophysical Oceanography Group
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Engagement The group is part of The Centre for Spatial Environmental Research and collaborates on a number of government and industry projects. Services/Products • Guidebooks and manuals • Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis • Remote sensing toolkits and software Email Website Prof Stuart Phinn s.phinn@uq.edu.au
www.gpem.uq.edu.au/brg
Queensland Centre for Population Research (QCPR) The Queensland Centre for Population Research undertakes pure and applied research and provides education and training in demography and population geography. The Centre focuses especially on demographic change at the local and regional level, both within Australia and overseas and encompasses theory, methodology and empirical analysis. Our research interests focus particularly on a wide range of demographic issues including internal migration, temporary population mobility, population estimates and projections, population ageing, household demography and the development of demographic forecasting models. The Centre also has expertise in spatial modelling and regional population dynamics. As the world population climbs towards 10 billion, and Australia approaches 35 million, an understanding of the composition and distribution of population growth is crucial to ensure the sustainable management of our natural and built environments. Engagement QCPR has close, collaborative linkages to government agencies throughout Australia,. The Centre developed many of the models used by State governments to produce their official population forecasts and provides technical and policy advice to government on demographic issues. A pivotal partnership is with the Queensland State Treasury Office of Economic and Statistical Research (OESR), with whom the Centre has a five year collaborative research agreement. This provides the foundation for a rolling program of research on demographic issues of significance to the Queensland government. QCPR receives substantial funds from the Australian Research Council, other nationally competitive funding agencies, and international sources including the UN, and has ongoing collaborative links to other centres of demographic expertise in Australia and overseas. Services/Products • Demographic modelling software: POPCORN, SUPARMODEL, POPSTAR http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/qcpr-software • Provision of training in demographic methods and the analysis of population-related issues • Analysis of local and regional population dynamics, including migration and population ageing • Demographic analysis, statistical modelling of Ceensus and other population and housing data • Development of demographic measures and statistics Email Website Prof Martin Bell martin.bell@uq.edu.au
http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/qcpr
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Climate Research Group (CRG)
The CRG team is headed by the UQ’s Reader in Climatology, Associate Professor Hamish McGowan. This multidisciplinary group specialises in the research of past, present and future weather and climate. Research strengths of the group are organised into three categories: • Meteorology and Modelling; • Palaeoclimatology; and • Applied Climatology and Meteorology. The CRG is equipped with a comprehensive suite of scientific instrumentation enabling the collection of a wide range of in situ atmospheric and climatological data including ceilometers (for measuring cloud fields and atmospheric boundary layer structure); Eddy Covariance systems; acoustic sounders, micro-rain radar; automatic weather stations; kite and blimp sounding systems; radiosonde systems and an extensive range of ancillary meteorological sensors. The CRG runs atmospheric models including The Air Pollution Model (TAPM) and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). Reconstruction of past climates is another research focus of the CRG supported by extensive laboratory facilities for analytical geochemistry, analysis of stable isotopes, pollen, charcoal and dust archives extracted from sediment cores.
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Engagement The group implements a number of collaborative staff and student based projects with government agencies, private companies and non-government organizations. Services/Products • Provide weather and climate research advice to industry, government and non-government organisations • Meteorology and Modelling • Atmospheric models • Reconstruction of past climates Email Website Assoc Prof Hamish McGowan h.mcgowan@uq.edu.au
www.gpem.uq.edu.au/crg
Environmental & Social Planning Research Group (ESPRG) The Environmental Planning Research Group (ESPRG) conducts qualitative and quantitative research into solving problems at the society-environment interface and environmental and urban planning responses. The group has expertise in socio-economic modelling and urban and environmental policy analysis, with specialisation in urban modelling, environmental law, policy and planning, development planning and climate adaptation planning. The EPRG has expertise in multidisciplinary quantitative and qualitative research, multiscalar issues, and international contexts (e.g. Australia, USA, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, PNG, Melanesia). Current research includes Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise (Australian Research Council Super Science Fellowships, 2011-2014) and Migration, Housing, Services: Planning for socially sustainable communities (Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance, 2012-2015). Engagement The ESPRG has strong links to a number of government, industry and community organisations such as the CSIRO, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Planning Institute of Australia and the Queensland Murray Darling Committee. International collaborators include the University of Oregon. Services/Products • Socio-economic spatial modelling • Environmental law analysis • Environmental policy and planning analysis • Climate adaptation toolkits • Landscape mapping • Public participation toolkits Email Website Dr Tiffany Morrison t.morrison@uq.edu.au
www.gpem.uq.edu.au/esprg-home
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The Working Group for Cleaner Production (WGCP) In an ever more competitive globalised world, businesses find it increasingly difficult to excel. In the past, environmental issues have been seen as an unwelcome additional cost to business with no real benefits. However, modern business management of environmental issues can provide benefits that flow straight to the bottom line. The primary function of the WGCP is to help companies identify and implement initiatives that achieve both bottom line and environmental improvements. The group promotes resource efficiency throughout the production and the supply chain to achieve maximum profitability for business as well as providing consultancy and education and training services to industry and government clients. With access to The University of Queensland’s extensive libraries, statistical services, and experts in environmental and economic management the group is well placed to provide high level advice to government and industry. Engagement The group has undertaken many industry specific projects and has worked in partnership with businesses from a wide variety of industry sectors including mining, mineral processing, metal forming and finishing, electricity generators, waste management, primary producers, food processors, tourism operators, hospitality and retail. Examples of past projects, toolkits and case studies that the group has undertaken are available at the WGCP website.
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The WGCP also functions as a clearing-house for information and resources related to Cleaner Production information. By maintaining links with experts from around the world the WGCP is in an excellent position to access and share information and experiences. In particular, the group produces and collects case studies that demonstrate the experiences and successes of innovative companies, guidelines and fact sheets for industry. Services/Products • Energy, water, resources and waste minimisation assessments and audits • Development and facilitation of Cleaner Production/ eco-efficiency and waste minimisation strategies and implementation plans • Development of environmental management systems (EMS) • Technical and economic feasibility evaluation of eco-efficiency technologies, systems and markets • Sustainability assessments and reporting • Carbon and Water Footprint Analysis • Environmental Training, seminars and workshops • Life-cycle assessments • Aid business to complete and benefit from the ecoBiz program Email
Website
Ms Penny Prasad www.gpem.uq.edu.au/cleaner-production p.prasad@uq.edu.au
ACADEMIC STAFF AND FUNDING BODIES
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ACADEMIC STAFF AND AREAS OF RESEARCH INTEREST
Greg Baxter
Bob Beeton
Martin Bell
Greg Brown
Nikolaus Callow
Jonathan Corcoran
SĂŠbastien Darchen
Marc Hockings
Laurel Johnson
Ron Johnstone
John Kirkwood
Yan Liu
The ecology and conservation of wildlife including; Landscape ecology; Investigating novel ways to solve intractable environmental problems and in finding ways to apply scientific research
Urban regeneration; Economic development strategies; Globalization & network society; Mobility of urban policies; Urban design and place-making; Public participation in planning
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Environmental problem solving, restoration, and reporting; Total Landscape Management including Protected Areas; Sustainable tourism; sustainability issues associated with both natural and rural systems; Rural and Regional Community Development
Monitoring and evaluation of conservation management with a particular focus on protected areas; Biodiversity outcomes in protected areas; Adapting protected area management to address climate change impacts; Modelling the costs of effective management for protected areas.
Population mobility; Internal migration; Demographic forecasting
Power in Planning- the sources of power that planners deploy in their quest to shape the built environment; Passenger transport solutions and strategies in urban and rural communities; The contributions (and limitations) of planning in delivering an inclusive city
Public participation GIS (PPGIS) and community and social assessment methods; environmental and sustainable land use planning; Parks and protected areas planning and management; Climate change adaptation
Integrated coastal resource management; Marine resource management & auditing; Coral reef, estuarine & general marine nutrient dynamics; Biogeochemical processes and sediment geochemistry; Ecosystem nutrient budgeting
Interaction of humans with physical environmental processes; Impacts of land management on hydrology; River geomorphology and eco-hydrology; Management interventions in changing landscapes and climates
Integrating ecological, economic and social approaches to fisheries management; Marine ecology, concentrating on fisheries and Antarctic ecosystems; Human nutrition, food security and the sustainability of global fisheries; Evolutionary impacts of artificial selection by fisheries
Application of quantitative geographical methods for urban modelling; Use of geo-analytical, geo-visualisation and prediction techniques
GIS applications in urban and human environments - spatial analysis and modelling; GIS in health and demographic studies; Learning with GIS in schools
ACADEMIC STAFF AND AREAS OF RESEARCH INTEREST
Martine Maron
Iderlina Mateo-Babiano
Clive McAlpine
Hamish McGowan
Chris McGrath
John Minnery
Tiffany Morrison
Patrick Moss
David Neil
Ann Peterson
Stuart Phinn
David Pullar
Landscape ecology and habitat restoration; Conservation policy; Decision support tools for targeting investment in natural resource management; Habitat change and land stewardship
Environmental policy, planning, governance and institutions; Australian natural resource management policy; Climate adaptation planning; Comparative environmental policy and planning (USA, Japan, Australia); Scale, coordination and participation in environmental policy and institutional design
Transport planning; Pedestrian research and accessibility planning; Land use-transport integration; Asian megacities; Urban design
Quaternary environments of eastern Australia; The Eocene environments of the Okanagan highliands in British Columbia and Canada through pollen analysis; Mangrove ecology; Human impacts on Australian ecosystems; General palaeoecology , biogeography and landscape ecology
Processes driving landscape change; The conservation of biodiversity in human-modified landscapes; The ecological and climatic consequences of landscape change
Human-environment interactions; Environmental history and management responses in river catchments and coastal and coral reef systems
Earth surface - atmosphere energy exchanges; Complex terrain wind fields; Atmospheric transport of aerosols; Climate variability and coastal meteorology
Natural resource management; Regional planning and new regionalism; Coasts and climate change; The pedagogy of teaching
Evaluation of the effectiveness for environmental regulation; Climate change and greenhouse gas accounting; Vegetation management laws and policies
Use of satellite and airborne images to map, monitor and model biophysical properties of terrestrial and aquatic environments for scientific and management applications
Urban policy and its implementaton, Urban governance, Slums and slum upgrading; Housing, especially housing affordability and social housing; The historic dimensions of urban policy
Spatial information systems; Urban landscapes; Spatial analysis and modelling and environmental management integration
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ACADEMIC STAFF AND AREAS OF RESEARCH INTEREST
Jonathan Rhodes
Biodiversity conservation in human-dominated and dynamically changing landscapes; Optimal monitoring for environmental management; Koala ecology and conservation
Christiaan Roelfsema
Developing operational approaches for mapping and monitoring, spatial and temporal biophysical properties of coral reefs and associated waters, using field and remote sensing imagery
Annie Ross
Indigenous Management of Natural and Cultural Resources; Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management; People, Environment and Society; Social factors in environmental management - Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands
Glen Searle
Institutional and political economy perspectives on urban planning; Urban consolidation; The spatial dynamics of advanced economy services
James Shulmeister Head of School
Understanding long term climate change with a focus on Austrasia and Antarctica; General palaeoecology, climatic geomorphology,Quaternary science
David Wadley
Futurological and risk analyses of urban development and social ideologies
For the most up to date list of staff and their interests please visit http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/our-people Scarla Weeks
Ecosystem-scale specific applications of satellite data to the oceanographic environment; The link between climate change, oceanography and the biological response, regional to local processes; Movements patterns of marine megafauna in relation to ocean dynamics and productivity
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Dona Whiley
drivers and tools for environmental practice in organisations and firms; Regulatory and non regulatory mechanisms to achieve sustainable development; Ecotourism – philosophy, principles and practice; Tourism policy and sustainable development; Corporate Social Responsibility
Bradd Witt
Decadal to century scale environmental change in rural areas and rangelands; The management of productive agricultural landscapes for diverse socio-ecological values (such as emerging carbon, biodiversity and other social goods); Communications between urban and rural communities regarding environmental policy and management
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RESEARCH STAFF
Grant Brearley
Elin Charles-Edwards
Jianting Chu
Jim Cooper
Rachael Dudaniec
Fisher, Adrian
Kasper Johansen
Andrew Kythreotis
Javier Leon Patino
Morena Mills
Christopher Raymond
Justin Ryan
Wildlife ecology and biology; Wildlife eco-physiology; Influence of human-induced landscape change on terrestrial fauna
Image processing and analysis of high spatial resolution airborne and satellite image data with a focus on riparian environments and geographic object based image analysis
Temporary population mobility; Internal Migration; Small area population estimates
The way in which power is configured and negotiated across space by state and non-state stakeholders involved in the governance of climate change related events.
Interaction between afforestation and climate extremes; Dynamical downscaling with regional climate models; High-resolution land surface data for modelling from remote sensing images
Geospatial applications to coastal processes and management; Remote Sensing and Object-based image analysis (OBIA); GIS and Terrain analysis
Population forecasting and demographic modelling
Human-environmental issues; Systematic conservation planning; Integrating conservation and social goals into spatial planning.
Applying population genetics to spatial questions in conservation biology (landscape genetics); Characterising the impacts and molecular ecology of hostparasite interactions and invasive species; Behavioural ecology and evolutionary divergence of species on islands
Public participation GIS (PPGIS); Knowledge integration for environmental management; Climate change adaptation; Protected area management and evaluation; Measurement of proenvironmental behaviour
Developing automated image processing methods for Landsat TM/ETM+, SPOT5 and airborne LiDAR data, focusing on regional vegetation monitoring
My fields of research are ecohydrology and adaptive management of native vegetation in production landscapes.
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RESEARCH STAFF
Leonie Seabrook
Ecological and environmental history; Anthropogenic and environmental drivers of land cover/land use change; Impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on fauna; Climate change impacts on biodiversity
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Tom Wilson
Population projection modelling, especially multistate and probabilistic methods; Migration analysis; Demographic estimation techniques; State and local demographic analyses;
Craig Woodward
Quaternary environments and environmental change; Human impact on aquatic ecosystems; Limnology; Paleoecology
The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management would like to thank and recognise the generous contributions of funding bodies, institutions and individuals who actively support our research.
FUNDING BODIES AND SUPPORTERS
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Australian Centre for Environmental Law
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Digital Globe
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PowerLink Queensland
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South West NRM
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Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
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Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
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Prince of Songkla University
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Sugar Research and Development
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Queen’s University Belfast
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Australian Department of Industry Innovation and Scientific Research
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Global Environment Fund
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Gold Coast City Council
Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management
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Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
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Tangalooma Island Resort
Griffith University
Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning
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Tasmania Forest Practices Authority
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Gunns Limited
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The Great Barier Reef Foundation
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Instiution of Surveyors, Australia
Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet
James Cook University
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Queensland Fire & Rescue Services
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The Nature Conservancy
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Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation
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Queensland Government Department of Infrastructure and Planning
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UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring
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Landscape Values & PPGIS Institute
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University of Cantebury
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Lockyer Valley Regional Council
Queensland Government Department of Main Roads
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University of Hawaii
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Logan City Council
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Queensland Murray Darling Committee Inc.
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University of Melbourne
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Moreton Bay Regional Council
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Queensland Museum
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University of New England
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Murray Darling Basin Authority
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Queensland Seafood Industry Association
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University of Regina
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NASA
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University of Sydney
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National Health & Medical Research Council
Queensland Treasury, Office of Economic and Statistical Research
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University of The South Pacific
National Parks Association of Queensland
Queensland University of Technology
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Brisbane City Council
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University of Western Australia
National University of Ireland
Redland City Council
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Bush Heritage Australia
Research Institute for Development (Noumea)
University of Western Ontario
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Utah State University
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Can Tho University
New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water
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Seafood Services Australia Ltd
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Victorian Department of Planning and
Condamine Alliance
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
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Sibelco Australia and New Zealand
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Cooperative Research Centres (various)
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Snowy Hydro Limited
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Wildlife Conservation Society
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CSIRO
New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage
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WWF International
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Curtin University
South Pacific Applied Geosciences Committee
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Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
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Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute (AHURI)
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Australian Institute for Marine Science
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Australian Institute Nuclear Science and Engineering
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Australian National University
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Australian Research Council
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Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority
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Planning Insitute of Australia
Corporation Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
Centre
Community Development
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General Inquires The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management AUSTRALIA 4072 Phone +61 7 3365 6455 Fax +61 7 3365 6899 Email gpem@uq.edu.au Twitter @UQ_gpem
Web www.gpem.uq.edu.au
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