Description:
Characters of two species, described more than seventy years ago in the genus Arrhopalites Börner, A. coccineus Salmon, 1941 and A. adelaidica Womersley, 1933, are not consistent with the current diagnosis of the genus. Instead, the holotype of A. coccineus and two cotypes of A. adelaidica, but not the lectotype, are consistent with characters of Stenacidia violacea (Reuter, 1881) following the description of the genus and species published by Bretfeld (1999). Stenacidia violacea is the type species of its monotypic genus. As the characters of the genus Stenacidia, following Bretfeld (1999), are very different to those of Arrhopalites, but are consistent with the characters of A. coccineus and two cotypes of A. adelaidica, A. coccineus is synonymised with S. violacea here and identification of the cotypes of A. adelaidica corrected.
Description:
A literature review was conducted to identify the experiences, challenges and acculturation of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) living and working throughout rural and remote Australia. As such recently published literature highlighted key factors impacting IMGs living and working in rural and remote areas which informed the acculturation process in western society. IMGs acculturation throughout Australian rural settings occurs rapidly among these higher educated migrants. Those IMGs with Australian spouses or who have practiced in rural settings prior to migration also experience a new phase of acculturation. However, maintaining cultural and religious connectivity continues to be challenging in these settings. Community awareness and an ability to embrace IMGs and cultural differences remain crucial for identity and cultural retention. Nevertheless, few studies recognised quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their family’s impact on the rural acculturation and settlement success. Previous research has focused primarily on employment integration, satisfaction and practice support. The identified literature is in no way extensive as it focuses on IMGs in the Australian context, which may impact on transferability. A gap exists where quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their families have been overlooked. These are crucial factors impacting rural acculturation, retention and IMGs health and wellbeing. The literature highlights insights into IMGs acculturation as they migrate and reside in Tasmania, a less culturally diverse population, remains absent with very little comparable research conducted.
Description:
A literature review was conducted to identify the experiences, challenges and acculturation of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) living and working throughout rural and remote Australia. As such recently published literature highlighted key factors impacting IMGs living and working in rural and remote areas which informed the acculturation process in western society. IMGs acculturation throughout Australian rural settings occurs rapidly among these higher educated migrants. Those IMGs with Australian spouses or who have practiced in rural settings prior to migration also experience a new phase of acculturation. However, maintaining cultural and religious connectivity continues to be challenging in these settings. Community awareness and an ability to embrace IMGs and cultural differences remain crucial for identity and cultural retention. Nevertheless, few studies recognised quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their family’s impact on the rural acculturation and settlement success. Previous research has focused primarily on employment integration, satisfaction and practice support. The identified literature is in no way extensive as it focuses on IMGs in the Australian context, which may impact on transferability. A gap exists where quality of life and social needs of IMGs and their families have been overlooked. These are crucial factors impacting rural acculturation, retention and IMGs health and wellbeing. The literature highlights insights into IMGs acculturation as they migrate and reside in Tasmania, a less culturally diverse population, remains absent with very little comparable research conducted.
Description:
Urban remnant vegetation, especially where it occurs in public parks, allows for relatively easy access for ongoing biodiversity monitoring. However, relatively little baseline information on bird species distribution and abundance across a range of identifiable urban remnants appears in the published literature. We surveyed the relative abundance and distribution of birds across urban and suburban remnant vegetation in Melbourne, Australia. One hundred and six species were recorded, of which 98 were indigenous. Red wattlebirds had the highest mean relative abundance with 2.94 birds/ha, followed by rainbow lorikeets (2.51), noisy miners (1.93), brown thornbills (1.75) and spotted doves (0.96). There was no obvious trend between overall relative abundance and the size of the remnant, in contrast to species richness which was positively correlated with remnant size. The data revealed that some species were either totally restricted to, or more abundant in, larger remnants and generally absent from smaller remnants. Some of the more common birds (crimson rosella, superb fairy-wren, spotted pardalote and black-faced cuckoo-shrike) recorded during this study were detected at similar densities to those found in comparable vegetation to the east of Melbourne within a largely forested landscape. Other species occurred at much lower densities (e.g., white-browed scrubwren, brown thornbill, eastern yellow robin and grey fantail) or had habitat requirements or ecological characteristics that could place them at risk of further decline or local extinction in the urban area. We identify a suite of bird species of potential conservation concern within Melbourne's urban landscape. The establishment of repeatable, fixed-point, and long-term monitoring sites will allow for repeat surveying over time and provide an early warning of population declines, or conversely an indication of population increase for other species.
Description:
A complex set of issues underlies the pricing of the diverse range of goods and services from which Australian local governments derive a significant portion of their revenues. Although local governments have a not-for-profit orientation, they are expected to be financially viable and embrace a broad notion of accountability. They are also expected to influence the behaviour of constituents in accordance with policy decisions, but be equitable in doing so. These and related parameters are discussed and illustrated in order to reveal and elucidate the nature of pricing decisions in local government, and to differentiate the local government context from other price-setting environments.
Description:
Drawing on the findings from studies in Australia and Norway that explored the use of laboratories in the preparation of nursing students for entry to practice, this article identifies the pedagogical challenges for the undergraduate education of nurses. The findings from both countries are compared and, in spite of distinct differences in the level of financial investment, there are striking similarities between the ways in which laboratories are used in the two countries. The laboratories were designed to predominately represent acute care hospital environments. The participants demonstrated a high level of commitment and strongly held beliefs in the laboratory as a safe place to facilitate self-paced learning and as an environment where students can practice until they become competent and confident. However, at the same time, there was a striking lack of evidence to support these views. The participants in both countries reported a common approach to instruction: a proce! ss of teacher demonstration, followed by student repetition and practice. Variability in students' motivation also was reported and the participants especially expressed concern for those students with a low level of interest in the basic skills associated with personal care. The possibilities and limitations of using skill laboratories as part of the practical preparation for nursing are discussed, using the metaphor of laboratories as "fiction".
Description:
An ecological thinning trial was established in 2003 in north-central Victoria as part of the development of an ecological management strategy to support the newly created Box-Ironbark Parks and Reserves System. The objective of the trial was to restore diversity of habitat structure to declining Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands. Three ecological thinning techniques were designed around several principles: reducing total basal-area of trees and retaining levels of patchiness whilst retaining large trees. Thinning treatments were implemented in 30 ha plots at four conservation reserves south of Bendigo, Victoria. A range of ecosystem components were monitored before and after thinning. A woody-debris removal treatment was also set-up at a 1 ha scale within thinning treatments. Prior to thinning, plots were dominated by high numbers of coppice regenerated trees with few of the trees sampled considered large, resulting in low numbers of tree hollows and low loadings of coarse woody debris. It is anticipated that the establishment of the ecological thinning trial (Phase I), is the beginning of long-term monitoring, as effects of thinning on key habitat values may not be apparent for up to 50 years or more. The vision for restoration of Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands is one of a mosaic landscape with a greater diversity of habitat types including open areas and greater numbers of larger, hollow-bearing trees. This paper summarises the experimental design and the techniques adopted in Phase I of this project during 2003-2008.
Description:
Analysis of the data collected from a survey into what OHS professionals do in practice indicated that they are not strategically influential with senior managers and that this lack of influence may be limiting workplace health and safety improvements. This article revisits the survey data to investigate the potential links between the personal (gender) and professional (education and experience) characteristics of OHS professionals, the industry and the size and geographical location of the organisation in which they work, and their involvement in strategic activities. The analysis indicates that the profile of OHS professionals who are strategically influential includes the following: they are male; they have worked in OHS for six to 10 years; and they are employed by large organisations, particularly in the mining and construction industries. The data regarding the role of education were contradictory to expectations and other reports. While this analysis has provided a profile of OHS professionals in Australia, it has added little to our understanding of the interactions and dynamics of factors that might impact on the strategic influence of OHS professionals.
Description:
This article arose from a concern that OHS professionals are not strategically influential with senior managers, and that this lack of influence may be limiting workplace health and safety improvements and, in turn, hindering the progress of the national OHS improvement strategy. The article analyses data from an Australian survey into the communication patterns and activities of OHS professionals in an attempt to clarify whether their activities are likely to have a strategic influence on senior managers. While there may be a number of interpretations of the data, the results indicate that the focus of the activities of OHS professionals is mainly task-oriented. Less often, the focus of their activities is operational (such as developing the OHS management system), while a few of their activities may be considered as strategic. The Australian survey was part of a broader international study and a comparison of the results with those from other countries revealed that the limited focus on strategic activities is not unique to Australia.
Description:
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the employment and training of mature-aged workers, so that suggestions for improving training for mature-aged workers may be offered. Design/methodology/approach – Six expert interviews were carried out by telephone, and three case studies involving company site visits were completed. Each company case study involved interviews with managers, trainers and mature-aged workers. The study was confined to the manufacturing industry. Findings – Mature-aged workers bring many advantages to workplaces and some employers show a definite preference for them over younger workers; but in some cases training needs to take account of lack of confidence and literacy and health issues. However, there is great diversity among mature-aged workers. Research limitations/implications – The research is confined to shop-floor workers in manufacturing, and does not address training of mature-aged managers and professionals. The research is small-scale but provides new insights, and importantly the voices of the workers themselves. Practical implications – The paper identifies managerial and training practices that can immediately be implemented. Originality/value – The paper identifies some issues that can be taken up at a policy level as well as within companies. For example, the preference for qualification-based training at a national level is not necessarily consistent with what mature-aged workers prefer.
Description:
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the employment and training of mature-aged workers, so that suggestions for improving training for mature-aged workers may be offered. Design/methodology/approach – Six expert interviews were carried out by telephone, and three case studies involving company site visits were completed. Each company case study involved interviews with managers, trainers and mature-aged workers. The study was confined to the manufacturing industry. Findings – Mature-aged workers bring many advantages to workplaces and some employers show a definite preference for them over younger workers; but in some cases training needs to take account of lack of confidence and literacy and health issues. However, there is great diversity among mature-aged workers. Research limitations/implications – The research is confined to shop-floor workers in manufacturing, and does not address training of mature-aged managers and professionals. The research is small-scale but provides new insights, and importantly the voices of the workers themselves. Practical implications – The paper identifies managerial and training practices that can immediately be implemented. Originality/value – The paper identifies some issues that can be taken up at a policy level as well as within companies. For example, the preference for qualification-based training at a national level is not necessarily consistent with what mature-aged workers prefer.
Prospective application of a five-step regulatory assessment model to a proposed federal sperm donor registry in Australia: Is it in the public interest?
Description:
It has been proposed that a nationally mandated donor registry be established in Australia to provide data for estimating the possible number of inadvertent half-sibling matings resulting from the multiple use of anonymous donors in donor insemination and to assist identity-release donors and their donor-inseminated children to establish contact. A five-step regulatory assessment model, as described by Johnson and Petersen in 2008, was applied prospectively to the proposed donor registry to identify public interest issues. The resultant issues concern the public ethical interest in child welfare; the public health interest in avoiding genetic abnormalities/disease; public socio-political and legal interests in avoiding inadvertent consanguineous relationships; public ethical and health interests in avoiding identity issues in the donor-inseminated child; and public socio-ethical interests in providing nationally mandated, comprehensive records of donor insemination outcomes. These results provide a basis for further discussion in regard to donor insemination legislation at the federal level.
Description:
It has been proposed that a nationally mandated donor registry be established in Australia to provide data for estimating the possible number of inadvertent half-sibling matings resulting from the multiple use of anonymous donors in donor insemination and to assist identity-release donors and their donor-inseminated children to establish contact. A five-step regulatory assessment model, as described by Johnson and Petersen in 2008, was applied prospectively to the proposed donor registry to identify public interest issues. The resultant issues concern the public ethical interest in child welfare; the public health interest in avoiding genetic abnormalities/disease; public socio-political and legal interests in avoiding inadvertent consanguineous relationships; public ethical and health interests in avoiding identity issues in the donor-inseminated child; and public socio-ethical interests in providing nationally mandated, comprehensive records of donor insemination outcomes. These results provide a basis for further discussion in regard to donor insemination legislation at the federal level.
Description:
Nurses represent the largest occupational group of health care professionals in Australia. The ratio of nurses to population is relatively consistent, unlike other health care professional groups (including medical doctors and allied health staff) whose numbers decline as population density and distance from metropolitan areas increases. Nurses working in areas where other health care professionals are limited or absent have expanded scopes of practice with their work being more generalist than specialist. The role of nurses in remote and isolated areas of Queensland, Australia was the focus of a commissioned multi-case research project. Findings reported in this paper relate to the position of registered nurses as part of an interprofessional team. These findings indicated that, in some instances, local health care teams were limited to a single nurse and Indigenous health care worker/s, while in others the teams were more diverse. In all cases collegial support was available either locally or via telecommunication technology. Understanding the role of each team member, having useful strategies to enhance communication and work collaboratively were identified as essential criteria for "good practice".