Corporate reputation in the Australian mining industry : A stakeholder perspective
- Authors: Tuck, Jacqueline
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text: false
- Description: This study contributes to corporate reputation theory through the identification of stakeholder specific reputations in the mining industry and further understanding of the complex reputation formation processes. It provides a framework for understanding the formation of reputation at stakeholder level, including the stakeholder network effects and the industry effects in the reputation formation processes for stakeholder groups
- Description: Doctorate of Philosophy
Creating and sustaining online communities : Web-based services meeting the diverse needs of regional and rural Australia
- Authors: Thompson, Helen
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Using Community Informatics to Transform Regions Chapter 18 p. 132-146
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- Description: B1
- Description: 2003000796
Critically engaged learning : Connecting to young lives
- Authors: Smyth, John , Angus, Lawrence , Down, Barry , McInerney, Peter
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Book
- Relation: Adolescent cultures, school & society No. 42
- Full Text: false
- Description: This book - the finale in a trilogy by the authors - traces the way in which a number of disadvantaged schools and communities were able to move beyond deficit, victim-blaming and pathologizing approaches and access resources of trust, relationships, connectedness and hope. It describes how these Australian schools and communities were able to benefit from working with 'street-level' bureaucrats who had reinvented themselves around notions of socially just forms of capacity-building. The book provides a set of insights into what is possible from a critical engagement for school and community renewal perspective, by working with the resources that exist within disadvantaged contexts, even in damaging neoliberal policy times.
- Description: 2003006329
Decision making processes within educated intercultural marriages in Australia
- Authors: Alnaimi, Suleiman
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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- Description: In recent years, the world–wide phenomena of globalization and increasingly flexible social norms have contributed to an increase in intercultural relationships, particularly in multicultural societies. Intercultural relationships have a higher risk of failure and lower marital satisfaction than same-culture marriages. The negotiation of important family decisions are known to lead to marital conflict, however few studies have examined how successful, intercultural couples make important decisions and maintain marital satisfaction. Six intercultural couples who met the criteria were recruited and interviewed (ie.12 individuals).Couples were interviewed longitudinally on how they make important family decisions. The educational levels of participants ranged from college degree to PhD degree. The participants represented diverse cultural backgrounds. The various racial and/or ethnic identifications of the intercultural married couples in this study represented the diversity of the racial and/or ethnic mixes in intercultural marriages within the general population. Prior to completing the conjoint, face to face interviews, each couple completed the Schwartz Value Survey to elicit their individual values. Values are known to motivate and underpin decisions and vary from culture to culture. Interviews revealed that, although cultural differences were clearly evident, these differences did not prevent effective decision making amongst intercultural couples. Instead, couples were successfully turning cultural differences into minor issues or even opportunities. Couples often managed three cultures within the nuclear family as all couples had children being raised in Australia. Couples reported that keys to marital success included developing common values, working towards agreed goals and awareness of their spouse’s culture, support and open communication. Intercultural couples interviewed displayed positive attitudes of commitment to their marriage, each other and family. Couples focused on what was best for the family when making decisions. They held firm beliefs that they were not that different from their partner, despite cultural differences. Themes to emerge from qualitative analysis of the interviews as factors underpinning successful inter-cultural marriages across the participants include shared faith, similar values and the creation of a third culture within an emerging global culture. Cultural differences were not found to be a significant factor when major family decisions were made. This thesis is the first to examine decision making among successful intercultural couples. Qualitative study has investigated couple decision-making from the same cultural background. This current study generates new insights on intercultural couple’s decision making processes, and provides unique perspectives on how successful, well-adjusted and highly educated intercultural couples negotiate important family decisions. The findings of this study have the potential to add to the limited knowledge available on intercultural marriage and cross-cultural adjustment and has implications for counsellors and marriage / family therapists working with cross-cultural couples.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Delineating genetic management units of sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) in south-eastern Australia, using opportunistic tissue sampling and targeted scat collection
- Authors: Davies, Christopher , Wright, Wendy , Wedrowicz, Faye , Pacioni, Carlo , Hogan, Fiona
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Wildlife Research Vol. 49, no. 2 (2022), p. 147-157
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- Description: Context: Invasive species are major drivers of biodiversity loss, requiring management to reduce their ecological impacts. Population genetics can be applied to delineate management units, providing information that can help plan and improve control strategies. Aim: The present study aims to use a genetic approach to test the existence of three previously proposed sambar deer populations in south-eastern Australia. In doing so, the study aims to delineate management units of sambar deer in south-eastern Australia. Methods: Sambar deer DNA was sourced opportunistically from tissue samples and targeted scat collection. Samples were collected from three areas in Victoria, south-eastern Australia: Mt Cole (MC), French Island (FI) and eastern Victoria (EV). Contemporary population structure was assessed using a suite of 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers. The number of maternal sambar deer lineages in south-eastern Australia was investigated through sequencing of the mitochondrial (mt)DNA control region. Key results: Three distinct genetic clusters were identified. Differentiation among inferred clusters was found to be high, with FST ranging from 0.24 between EV and FI clusters and 0.48 between MC and FI clusters. Two mtDNA haplotypes were identified; R.u1 was found throughout EV and FI, and R.u2 was unique to MC. DNA isolated from scats provided reliable data and proved critical for sampling areas where hunting and culling of deer are not generally undertaken. Conclusions: Three genetically distinct sambar deer management units in south-eastern Australia are defined-MC, FI and EV. Sambar deer control strategies should be applied to each management unit independently. This may be difficult or infeasible for the EV management unit, which is large and geographically complex. Further research may help identify additional fine-scale genetic structure in EV, allowing smaller, more practicable management units to be identified. Implications: Genetic data can be used to identify management units for invasive species, which will be critical for the development of future management strategies and improving control operations. The approach outlined here could also be applied to improve the management of other introduced deer species in south-eastern Australia. © 2022 CSIRO Open Access.
Densely regenerating coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah) woodlands are more species-rich than surrounding derived grasslands in floodplains of eastern Australia
- Authors: Good, Megan , Price, Jodi , Clarke, Peter , Reid, Nick
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Botany Vol. 59, no. 5 (2011), p. 468-479
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Woody plant encroachment the conversion of grasslands to tree- or shrub-dominated ecosystems occurs in rangelands and savannas worldwide. In eastern Australia, coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah subsp. coolabah Blakely Jacobs) regenerated densely following floods in the mid 1970s, converting derived grasslands to dense woodlands. We compared soil and groundstorey vegetation attributes of dense coolibah regeneration to adjacent derived grasslands at three grazed sites in the northern riverine plains of New South Wales. Groundstorey species richness and diversity were significantly higher and groundstorey biomass was significantly lower in dense regeneration plots than in derived grassland plots. Soils from dense regeneration had higher C:N and pH, and lower Na than soils from derived grasslands. Although groundstorey species composition differed significantly between derived grasslands and dense regeneration within sites, variation among sites was more pronounced, indicating that site factors influence community composition more than dense regeneration of coolibah. Our findings suggest that, in contrast to other studies of woody plant encroachment, dense regeneration of coolibah does not result in a decrease in plant biodiversity or soil condition. © 2011 CSIRO.
Developing an evidence base for assessing natural capital risks and dependencies in lending to Australian wheat farms
- Authors: Cojoianu, Theodor , Ascui, Francisco
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment Vol. 8, no. 2 (2018), p. 95-113
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- Description: Farmers are highly dependent on stocks of natural capital, and lenders are in turn exposed to natural capital through their loans to farmers. However, the traditional process for assessing a farmer’s credit risk relies primarily on historical financial data. Banks’ consideration of environmental factors tends to be limited to major risks such as contaminated land liabilities, and to large project and corporate finance, as opposed to the smaller loans typical of the Australian agricultural sector. The relevant risks and dependencies for agriculture vary by sub-sector and geography, and there is a lack of standardised methodologies and evidence to support risk assessment. We provide an evidence base to support natural capital risk assessment for a single sub-sector of Australian agriculture–wheat farming. We show that such an assessment is possible, with a combination of quantitative and qualitative inputs, but the complexity and interconnectedness of natural capital processes is a challenge, particularly for soil health. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Developing policy for Australia's small towns : From anthropology to sustainability
- Authors: Courvisanos, Jerry , Martin, John
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities (CSRC) 2nd National Conference on the future of Australia's Country Towns, Latrobe, Bendigo : 11th February, 2005
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- Description: Over the last three decades the way in which public policy analysts learn about the structure and function of Australia’s small towns has shifted from the intensive, in-depth analysis provided by the anthropologist living in the community (called “community studies”) to a more empirically oriented, demographic-based research carried out at a distance from these places (called “sustainability studies”). Rather than just understanding the functioning of small towns through case studies, recent research emphasis has centred on the more “aggregative” question of small town sustainability in all it forms. This alters the way in which small towns are viewed and complicates the current policy approaches to small town development and change. This paper identifies the two different methodologies implied by these divergent approaches and examines what this means to understanding of small towns and the policy implications that emerge. By reviewing the community studies approach to learning about small towns popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and contrasting this approach with recent, more aggregative approaches to learning about the sustainability of towns; this paper aims to find points of alignment and suggest a broader research framework that incorporates both approaches. This provides a comprehensive understanding of small towns, leading to a more effective development of public policies for these communities.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001308
Development and validation of the human activity profile into Chinese language : Lessons in determining equivalence
- Authors: Bonner, Ann , Wellard, Sally , Kenrick, Marita
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing and Health Sciences Vol. 8, no. 1 (2006), p. 36-43
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- Description: The Human Activity Profile (HAP), and associated Dyspnea Scale, is a self-report instrument for assessing levels of human activity. Although it has been used in studies examining the levels of activity in people, it is limited to people who are only able to understand English. However, many countries are multicultural with significant numbers of people whose native language is not English. This study sought to demonstrate the equivalence between the Chinese and English versions of the HAP and Dyspnea scales.Thirty-five bilingual university students completed both the Chinese and English versions of each questionnaire. There was 89% and 85% agreement between items across the HAP and Dyspnea Scale questionnaires, respectively. Although the psychometric evaluations suggested there was equivalence between the Chinese and English versions of both the HAP and Dyspnea Scale, lessons have been learnt regarding the different written forms of Chinese. © 2006 The Authors Journal Compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001972
Development of hydraulic models for a complex and large scale water distribution system in regional Australia
- Authors: Mala-Jetmarova, Helena , Schwarz, S. , Barton, Andrew , Le Roux, S , Smalley, P. , Gerke, S.
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Full Text: false
- Description: Hydraulic simulation models have become a valuable tool to manage water distribution networks commencing from their initial design through their operation, assessment of the level of service to customers, system performance improvement, analysis of planning alternatives, to system optimisation. The development of hydraulic models can be a time consuming task with complex and large scale water distribution networks being particularly challenging. The Wimmera Mallee Pipeline (WMP) in Western Victoria, Australia is a recently constructed and unique regional scale water distribution system which consists of over 8,800 km of pressurised pipelines spreading across an area of approximately 20,000 km 2. Currently, the WMP provides water to 34 townships, rural farms and other water users across the Wimmera Mallee region with an annual design capacity of 31.6 mil. m 3. The WMP sources its water from multiple reservoirs in the Grampians mountain ranges in the south and the River Murray in the north. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater) is the local water organisation responsible for managing the WMP. GWMWater is currently initiating the development of a water market to generate and support growth, and to ensure that water is available for the highest value social, economic or environmental use. The hydraulic models discussed in this paper will assure that informed decisions are made by GWMWater regarding the capacity to deliver water through the pipeline system, and therefore the extent of trade by customers. The philosophy for development of the WMP hydraulic models was to replicate the real system as credibly as possible into the level of required accuracy for decision making, yet enable simple model operation, maintenance and update. The network is modelled to the individual customer level in order to accommodate small diameter pipes. Modelling at this level simplifies the future model maintenance and updates, and also ensures the compatibility with other GWMWater's systems such as Geographic Information System (GIS) and the customer database. A major part of the model development consisted of data preparation. This was undertaken by using "as constructed" GIS asset data captured during the WMP construction and entered into a GIS database (ArcGIS by ESRI). Due to the scale of the system and associated amounts of data, it was essential to develop sophisticated data transformation and validation procedures to simplify the model build which thereby minimised manual data entry and potential sources of errors. This paper focuses on the methodologies and techniques used in data preparation for hydraulic models and development of hydraulic models. An example is also provided of how the models will be used as a decision support tool in water supply and allocation planning.
Dietary studies on exotic carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) from two lakes of western Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Khan, Tariq
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Aquatic Sciences Vol. 65, no. 3 (2003), p. 272-286
- Full Text: false
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- Description: There is little published information on the impacts of exotic fishes in the shallow slightly saline, closed catchment lakes of western Victoria. The present study assessed the diet of exotic carp (Cyprinus carpio) from two lakes of western Victoria (Lake Colac and Lake Modewarre) between November 1999-September 2001, using a numerical and volumetric method of gut contents analysis. Carp larvae <2 cm total length fed exclusively on microcrustacea (Cladocera and Copepoda). At a mean total length of >2 cm carp larvae shifted their diet to include benthic food resources, but microcrustacea still dominated the larval diet. Small carp (≤15 cm) showed a high preference for microcrustacea and tended to avoid benthic macroinvertebrate food resources. As carp size increased the proportion of macroinvertebrates in gut contents increased. Medium (15-40 cm) and large sized carp (>40 cm) displayed broad food assemblages in their guts with microcrustacea, Gastropoda, Ostracoda, Amphipoda and detritus being dominant. Carp showed a selective preference for Diptera and a balanced preference for Amphipoda. Schoener's dietary overlap was high between small and medium carp (0.55-0.65) and medium and large carp (0.72-0.74) but was low between small and large carp (0.36-0.44). When considering only benthic macroinvertebrate food resources, Hurlbert's dietary overlap between size classes of carp remained reasonably low. There were no observable seasonal patterns in the diet of carp in the two lakes but the proportion of the food items in the gut varied between sampling occasions. This study identified the potential of exotic carp in altering lake function by feeding predominantly on microcrustacea, thus causing a 'top-down' trophic cascade.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000549
Discursive Australia : Public discussion of refugees in the early twenty-first century
- Authors: Rodan, Debbie , Mummery, Jane
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd Annual Conference of the Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, Sydney : 27th - 28th September, 2004
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- Description: This paper interrogates recurring discourses in Australia’s public domain with regards to the issue of refugees and Australianness, and how they have been used to ratify notions of inclusion and exclusion with regards to what being Australian - or indeed being un-Australian - does and should mean. The unpacking of these primary discursive positions will be based on an analysis of the letters to the editor published in both The Australian (Australia’s national newspaper) and The West Australian, covering one key period from 22 January to 28 February 2002 (a period encompassing the Woomera hunger strike).
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001231
Divergent Barmah forest virus from Papua New Guinea
- Authors: Caly, Leon , Horwood, Paul , Dhanasekaran, VijaykrishnaLynch, Stacey , Greenhill, Andrew , Pomat, William , Rai, Glennis , Kisa, Debbie , Bande, Grace , Druce, Julian , Abdad, Mohammad
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Emerging Infectious Diseases Vol. 25, no. 12 (2019), p. 2266-2269
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- Description: We report a case of Barmah Forest virus infection in a child from Central Province, Papua New Guinea, who had no previous travel history. Genomic characterization of the virus showed divergent origin compared with viruses previously detected, supporting the hypothesis that the range of Barmah Forest virus extends beyond Australia. © 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved.
Do I belong? Sense of belonging and mental health among older and younger Australian men
- Authors: Morris, Simon , McLaren, Suzanne
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Psychology Vol. 57, no. (2005), p. 234
- Full Text: false
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Does the availability of vocational qualifications through work assist social inclusion?
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Education and Training Vol. 53, no. 7 (2011), p. 587-602
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the availability of qualifications through work-based traineeships in Australia assists social inclusion. Design/methodology/approach: Industry case studies, of the finance and cleaning industries, were undertaken as part of a national research project on quality in traineeships. The two industry case studies were analysed to provide data on social inclusion aspects. A general discussion on the "pros" and "cons" of gaining qualifications through work, from a social inclusion point of view, is included. Findings: The industry case studies show many advantages of work-based qualifications for people who have had disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds. The study presents a model showing how work-based qualifications help to meet the twin social inclusion goals of employment and education. However in economic hard times, the need to have a job may rule out some people. Also, some doubts about quality in work-based delivery may mean that qualifications gained through work may be of lower value than those gained at least partly through formal study. Research limitations/implications: The models put forward are tentative, based on the findings in the research study that has been described and the authors' earlier research. Further research is necessary to establish the social inclusion benefits of this means of gaining qualifications. In particular longitudinal research with disadvantaged people who have gained qualifications through this route is needed to evaluate whether their completion of qualifications through employment has assisted their broader economic and social engagement, and in what ways. In addition, research is needed to compare the quality and utility of qualifications gained through work and those through education providers as a poor-quality qualification may be of limited long-term use to an individual. Practical implications: Work-based qualifications are shown to be a useful investment of public resources. The research also analyses some shortcomings of this method of gaining qualifications so that they can be addressed by employers and training providers. Social implications: The research establishes the social inclusion utility of work-based qualifications, providing insights useful for education systems and social welfare organisations. Originality/value: This is one of very few scholarly studies of the large-scale use of work-based qualifications. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Dr James Stewart : Ulster man of the Scottish Diaspora
- Authors: Cousen, Nicola
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Scots under the Southern Cross p. 97-108
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Dr James Stewart was an Ulster physician and surgeon who practised medicine in Ballarat during the 1850s and 1860s. His family were originally from Scotland and had settled in County Tyrone as part of the plantation of Ulster. As a doctor from Ulster from a Scottish background he is part of an important fragment of the Scottish diaspora.
Dreamer, radical and gambler : Some unlikely Scottish emigrants?
- Authors: McConville, Chris
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Scots under the Southern Cross p. 79-88
- Full Text: false
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- Description: On 30 November 1900, the Caledonian Society held Melbourne's last nineteeth century St Andrew's Day Dinner. It was an occasion for reflection on the past, rather than looking forward to the new century and those who spoke at the gathering routinely recited achievements of the century just closing, when Scottish emigrants had shaped locales across the British Empire. Scots, although acknowledged as poets, were lauded as 'shrewd, hard-headed, money-making' colonists who had take a leading role in the great advances of the nineteenth century.
Effects of commuting status upon community involvement of professionals in rural North West Victoria
- Authors: Devers, Deanna
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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- Description: Because mobility is associated with rural social decline, this two-phase cross sectional study investigates whether social patterns in small, rural Australian towns are affected by commuting. Quantitative data, which was gathered via a mail-out questionnaire (response = 54 per cent) that was issued to 1,040 occupationally diverse professionals who worked in fourteen towns throughout north-western Victoria, was analysed to determine whether commuting and non-commuting professionals differed significantly in their community involvement. To explain why certain relationships emerged from survey analysis, face-toface interviews were subsequently undertaken with 24 questionnaire respondents. The key finding of this study is that there is a significant relationship between commuting status and the retention of rural professionals. A significantly greater proportion of noncommuters than commuters remain working in the one location for longer than five years. This finding has important implications for the sustainability of rural areas.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Effects of Tetranychus lintearius (Acari : Tetranychidae) on the structure and water potential in the foliage of the invasive Ulex europaeus (Fabaceae) in Australia
- Authors: Marriott, Jeremy , Florentine, Singarayer , Raman, Anantanarayanan
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Acarology Vol. 39, no. 4 (2013), p. 275-284
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- Description: Ulex europaeus, a native of Western Europe and the Mediterranean coast, is a serious agricultural and environmental weed in many parts of the earth, including Australia. Tetranychus lintearius attacks U. europaeus in its natural range and is one of the four biological control agents introduced into Australia to regulate populations of U. europaeus. Tetranychus lintearius is specific to different species of Ulex, which enhances its status as a key biological control agent. Little is known on the physiological effects and structural changes induced by T. lintearius on U. europaeus. This article describes anatomical changes and evaluates the physiological effects in U. europaeus consequent to feeding by T. lintearius for more than 100 d. This study demonstrates that feeding by T. lintearius reduces the quantity of photosynthetic tissue in U. europaeus, as a result of feeding on mesophyll parenchyma by inserting its stylets through the stomatal aperture. Unfed parenchyma cells display signs of stress, either exhibiting deformed cell organelles aligned along the walls of vacant cells or with cells with no well-defined cell organelles. Subsequent to T. lintearius feeding, leaves externally manifest bleaching. After feeding by a population of T. lintearius, leaf water potential is decreased by 30% and tender shoots lose their turgor, indicating water-related stress. Tetranychus lintearius has the potential to decelerate vigour and retard the competitiveness of U. europaeus by inflicting stress. Our findings reinforce the use of T. lintearius in the biological management of populations of U. europaeus in temperate Australia.
Either ‘a blessing in disguise’, or ‘I couldn't get help,’ : Australian and Aotearoa NZ women's experiences of early infant feeding during COVID-19
- Authors: Atchan, Marjorie , Graham, Kristen , Hartney, Nicki , Martis, Ruth , Kearney, Lauren , Davey, Kym , Daellenbach, Rea , Hall, Helen , Sweet, Linda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Women and Birth Vol. 36, no. 3 (2023), p. e305-e313
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Background: To manage the COVID-19 pandemic, public health restrictions and a rapid pivot to telehealth occurred. Peripartum services were significantly affected by a strained infrastructure. Decreased face to face access to health services and support affected maternal experiences and confidence internationally, yet little was reported with the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand context. Aim: To explore the early parenting and infant feeding experiences of new mothers from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in the context of a pandemic. Methods: An interpretive qualitative approach and thematic analysis obtained an in-depth understanding of the experiences of 27 mothers who gave birth during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Findings: Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand women reported similar experiences, which varied contextually. Restrictions and requirements impacted favourably and unfavourably. Many women found the peace and space of social distancing an unexpected benefit and were proud of their achievements, whilst others shared feelings of isolation and distress. Some women felt they instinctively did what they needed to do. Experiences correlated with differing levels of self-efficacy. Discussion: While many women relished the freedom from social obligations when faced with feeding challenges, there was general dissatisfaction with the level of support available. Care was fragmented, and health care needs were unmet, impacting feeding and parenting decisions and mental health. Conclusion: Access to timely and appropriate professional support is an important factor in establishing breastfeeding and developing parenting confidence, particularly in the context of a pandemic and should be a health policy priority. © 2023 Australian College of Midwives