Unlicensed and unregistered vehicle project: Summary report. Report to Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads

Unlicensed driving remains a serious problem for road safety, despite ongoing improvements in traffic law enforcement practices and technology. While it does not play a direct causative role in road crashes, unlicensed driving undermines the integrity of the driver licensing system and is associated with a range of high-risk behaviours. The Queensland Transport and Main Roads (TMR) commissioned a program of research with separate components relating to different aspects of unlicensed driving. Drawing on Australian and international studies, the Unlicensed and Unregistered Vehicle (UUV) project explores the nature of unlicensed driving in Queensland, consolidates the available research evidence and identifies gaps in current knowledge relating to the driving behaviours of unlicensed drivers.

Brief report regarding past fatigue incidents that have occurred at various BM Alliance Coal Operations mines in Queensland. Report to BM Alliance Coal Operation

This document has arisen from a request from BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd, to undertake and report on the key findings and statistics, key learning’s and recommendations for fatigue related incidents that have occurred at various BM Alliance coal operation mines in Queensland.

Brief report regarding past vehicle rollover and loss of traction incidents that have occurred at various BM Alliance Coal Operation mines in Queensland. Report to BM Alliance Coal Operation

This document has arisen from a request from BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd, to undertake and report on the key findings and statistics, key learning’s and recommendations for vehicle rollover and loss of traction (skid) incidents that have occurred at various BM Alliance coal operation mines in Queensland.

Spatial incidence of dengue infections in Queensland, Australia - reply

This study aimed to investigate the spatial clustering and dynamic dispersion of dengue incidence in Queensland, Australia. We used Moran's I statistic to assess the spatial autocorrelation of reported dengue cases. Spatial empirical Bayes smoothing estimates were used to display the spatial distribution of dengue in postal areas throughout Queensland. Local indicators of spatial association (LISA) maps and logistic regression models were used to identify spatial clusters and examine the spatio-temporal patterns of the spread of dengue. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of dengue was clustered during each of the three periods of 1993–1996, 1997–2000 and 2001–2004. The high-incidence clusters of dengue were primarily concentrated in the north of Queensland and low-incidence clusters occurred in the south-east of Queensland. The study concludes that the geographical range of notified dengue cases has significantly expanded in Queensland over recent years.

Links between unlicensed and unregistered driving (Data analysis). Report to Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads

There is a current lack of understanding regarding the use of unregistered vehicles on public roads and road-related areas, and the links between the driving of unregistered vehicles and a range of dangerous driving behaviours. This report documents the findings of data analysis conducted to investigate the links between unlicensed driving and the driving of unregistered vehicles, and is an important initial undertaking into understanding these behaviours. This report examines de-identified data from two sources: crash data; and offence data. The data was extracted from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) databases and covered the period from 2003 to 2008.

Back to normal: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of the multi-factorial determinants of normal birth in Queensland, Australia

Background Currently, care providers and policy-makers internationally are working to promote normal birth. In Australia, such initiatives are being implemented without any evidence of the prevalence or determinants of normal birth as a multidimensional construct. This study aimed to better understand the determinants of normal birth (defined as without induction of labour, epidural/spinal/general anaesthesia, forceps/vacuum, caesarean birth, or episiotomy) using secondary analyses of data from a population survey of women in Queensland, Australia. Methods Women who birthed in Queensland during a two-week period in 2009 were mailed a survey approximately three months after birth. Women (n=772) provided retrospective data on their pregnancy, labour and birth preferences and experiences, socio-demographic characteristics, and reproductive history. A series of logistic regressions were conducted to determine factors associated with having labour, having a vaginal birth, and having a normal birth. Findings Overall, 81.9% of women had labour, 66.4% had a vaginal birth, and 29.6% had a normal birth. After adjusting for other significant factors, women had significantly higher odds of having labour if they birthed in a public hospital and had a pre-existing preference for a vaginal birth. Of women who had labour, 80.8% had a vaginal birth. Women who had labour had significantly higher odds of having a vaginal birth if they attended antenatal classes, did not have continuous fetal monitoring, felt able to ‘take their time’ in labour, and had a pre-existing preference for a vaginal birth. Of women who had a vaginal birth, 44.7% had a normal birth. Women who had a vaginal birth had significantly higher odds of having a normal birth if they birthed in a public hospital, birthed outside regular business hours, had mobility in labour, did not have continuous fetal monitoring, and were non-supine during birth. Conclusions These findings provide a strong foundation on which to base resources aimed at increasing informed decision-making for maternity care consumers, providers, and policy-makers alike. Research to evaluate the impact of modifying key clinical practices (e.g., supporting women׳s mobility during labour, facilitating non-supine positioning during birth) on the likelihood of a normal birth is an important next step.

Implementation of National Rental Affordability Scheme in Queensland

In 2008 the Australian government introduced the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) to increase the supply of affordable rental in Australia. This Federal Government initiative was progressively rolled out through four different rounds over the years with fifth round to be announced some time in 2014. Although the scheme has been successful evident there have been numerous setbacks experienced. This paper focuses on understanding lessons learnt from the performance of the scheme to make recommendations for future government initiatives. This evaluation is based on the combination of document analysis, government officers as well as approved NRAS participants operating throughout Queensland. The most significant challenges for the NRAS participants is the involvement of three levels government which cause delays in the scheme approval process.

Modified MLVA for genotyping Queensland invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae

Background Globally, over 800 000 children under five die each year from infectious diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. To understand genetic relatedness between isolates, study transmission routes, assess the impact of human interventions e.g. vaccines, and determine infection sources, genotyping methods are required. The ‘gold standard’ genotyping method, Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), is useful for long-term and global studies. Another genotyping method, Multi-Locus Variable Number of Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA), has emerged as a more discriminatory, inexpensive and faster technique; however there is no universally accepted method and it is currently suitable for short-term and localised epidemiology studies. Currently Australia has no national MLST database, nor has it adopted any MLVA method for short-term or localised studies. This study aims to improve S. pneumoniae genotyping methods by modifying the existing MLVA techniques to be more discriminatory, faster, cheaper and technically less demanding than previously published MLVA methods and MLST. Methods Four different MLVA protocols, including a modified method, were applied to 317 isolates of serotyped invasive S. pneumoniae isolated from sterile body sites of Queensland children under 15 years from 2007–2012. MLST was applied to 202 isolates for comparison. Results The modified MLVA4 is significantly more discriminatory than the ‘gold standard’ MLST method. MLVA4 has similar discrimination compared to other MLVA techniques in this study). The failure to amplify particular loci in previous MLVA methods were minimised in MLVA4. Failure to amplify BOX-13 and Spneu19 were found to be serotype specific. Conclusion We have modified a highly discriminatory MLVA technique for genotyping Queensland invasive S. pneumoniae. MLVA4 has the ability to enhance our understanding of the pneumococcal epidemiology and the changing genetics of the pneumococcus in localised and short-term studies.

Characteristics of a sample of first time drink driving offenders in Queensland - a qualitative analysis

Drink driving incidents in the Australian community continue to be a major road safety problem resulting in a third of all fatalities. Drink driving prevalence remains high; with the rate of Australians who self report drink driving remaining at 11%-12.1% [1,2]. The focus of research in the area to date has been with recidivist offenders who have a higher probability of reoffending, while there is comparatively limited research regarding first time offenders. An important and understudied area relates to the characteristics of first offenders and predictors of recidivism. This study examined the findings of in-depth focussed interviews with a sample of 20 individual first time drink driving offenders in Queensland recruited at the time of court mention.

Property law reforms in Queensland: Is the regulatory burden on land transactions reduced?

The reduction of unnecessary regulation was a clear policy objective of the Queensland government during 2014. In the area of property sales significant reforms were introduced from 1 December 2014. This article examines the key aspects of these reforms and whether there has been a reduction in red tape for sellers and buyers of land.

Hydrostratigraphic and hydrochemical characterisation of aquifers, aquitards and coal seams in the Galilee and Eromanga basins, Central Queensland, Australia

Inter-aquifer mixing studies are usually made carrying out hydrochemical and isotopic techniques only. In this thesis these techniques have been integrated with three-dimensional geological modelling proving to be a better approach for inter—aquifer mixing assessment in regional areas, and also highlighting the influence of faulting in the understanding of groundwater and gas migration, which could not be possible using the two fist techniques alone. The results are of particular interest for coal seam gas basins and can even be used as exploration tools as areas of higher permeability and gas migration were identified.

Stress during the rebuilding phase influenced mental health following two Queensland flood disasters more than the event itself

It has long been known that disasters can have mental health consequences such as increased rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety. While some research has shown that secondary stressors during the aftermath of a disaster can influence psychological outcomes, this aspect of the disaster experience has not been widely studied. This paper reports on two studies that investigated which aspects of the experience of being flooded were most predictive of mental health outcomes. The first study was a qualitative study of adults whose homes had been inundated in the Mackay flood of 2008 (n=16). Thematic analysis of interviews conducted 18-20 months post-flood found that stressors during the flood aftermath such as difficulties and delays during the rebuilding process and a difficult experience with an insurance company were nominated as the most stressful aspect of the flood by the majority of participants. The second study surveyed Mackay flood survivors three and a half years post-flood, and Brisbane 2011 flood survivors 7-9 months post-flood (n=158). Findings indicated aftermath stress contributed to mental health outcomes over and above the contribution of perceived trauma, objective flood severity, prior mental health, self-efficacy and demographic factors. The implications of these results for the provision of community recovery services following natural disasters are discussed, including the need to provide effective targeting of support services throughout the lengthy rebuilding phase; a possible role for co-ordinating tradespeople; and training for insurance company staff aimed at minimising the incidence of insurance company staff inadvertently adding to disaster victims’ stress.

Submission for the Queensland Government Parliamentary Inquiry into personal health promotion interventions using telephone and web-based technologies

Telephone and web-based technologies such as SMS, smartphone apps, gamification, online/mobile games, online quizzes and tools can be used in personal health interventions in two ways: health promotion or social marketing. In response to the Queensland government's call for submissions to the parliamentary inquiry, a social marketing and design submission from four of the faculties at Queensland University of Technology was submitted. There appears to be a great deal of confusion in government circles about the terms ‘social marketing’ and ‘health promotion’ and often they are used interchangeably when they are actually significantly different approaches. Social marketing is the science and practice of behaviour change and involves goods and services that offer a value proposition, and which incentivises citizens to change their behaviour voluntarily. However, social marketing is often mistakenly used to describe advertising and communication or social media marketing. This submission contains an overview of how technology interventions need to be implemented to be successful, provides examples of the evidence that telephone and web-based interventions can effectively influence public health outcome. This submission poses seven critical factors.

Pharmaceutical review - Queensland Health’s experience

In 1990 Charles Hepler and Linda Strand published a sentinel paper and coined the term ‘Pharmaceutical Care’. This was defined as ‘that component of pharmacy practice which entails the direct interaction of the pharmacist with the patient for the purpose of caring for that patient’s drug-related needs’.1 In 1996 the Regional Pharmaceutical Officers’ Statement of Principles and Standards of Good Practice for Hospital Pharmacy in the UK stated that ‘All patients will receive the medicines to meet their agreed therapeutic objectives throughout the course of their treatment. This requires that the care plan for each patient identifies the correct choice of medication and is supported by systems for the provision of medicines…’

Perceived safety, quality and cultural competency of maternity care for culturally and linguistically diverse women in Queensland

Various policies, plans, and initiatives have been implemented to provide safe, quality, and culturally competent care to patients within Queensland’s healthcare system. A series of models of maternity care are available in Queensland that range from standard public care to private midwifery care. The current study aimed to determine whether identifying as Culturally or Linguistically Diverse (CALD) was associated with the perceived safety, quality, and cultural competency of maternity care from a consumer perspective, and to identify specific needs and preferences of CALD maternity care consumers. Secondary analysis of data collected in the Having a Baby in Queensland Survey 2012 was used to compare the experiences of 655 CALD women to those of 4049 non-CALD women in Queensland, Australia, across three stages of maternity care: pregnancy, labour and birth, and after birth. After adjustment for model of maternity care received and socio-demographic characteristics, CALD women were significantly more likely than non-CALD women to experience suboptimal staff technical competence in pregnancy, overall perceived safety in pregnancy and labour/birth, and interpersonal sensitivity in pregnancy and labour/birth. Approximately 50% of CALD women did not have the choice to use a translator or interpreter, or the gender of their care provider, during labour and birth. Thirteen themes of preferences and needs of CALD maternity care consumers based on ethnicity, cultural beliefs, or traditions were identified, however, these were rarely met. Findings imply that CALD women in Queensland experience disadvantageous maternity care with regards to perceived staff technical competence, safety, and interpersonal sensitivity, and receive care that lacks cultural competence. Improved access to support persons, continuity and choice of carer, and staff availability and training is recommended.