The experience of Asian expatriates in Australia

Workforces in individualistic countries, such as the US, the UK and Auslralia, are becoming increasingly culturally diverse. In Australia, the population now comprises people from more than 220 nationalities, approximately 45% of whom were born overseas. It is expected that. by the year 2030, 25% of the Australian population will be of Asian origin Nankervis. Compton, & McCarthy, 1999). Despite large Asian expatriations, the small number of Asian permanent residents in Australia (i.e. 4.7% of 18m people) infers that Asians may be having difficulty fitting into the Australian context. This paper will highlight the unaddressed racial tension in Australian workplaces and discuss the experience of Asian expatriates in light of the racial and value dissimilarity associated with Asian (collectivist) and Australian (individualist) cultures.

Climate change and community response in the Borough of Queenscliffe

The Borough of Queenscliffe (BoQ) occupies a unique place among coastal Victorian locations. Situated at the tip of the Bellarine Peninsula, the Borough has approximately 3000 permanent residents, one third of who are over 60 years old. The Borough is also the smallest in Victoria, covering a total area of 13 square kilometres. BoQ is also unique because of its location. The Borough is almost totally surrounded by water and much of this is classified as maritime national park. The Swan Bay Marine Reserve is a Ramsar site and is therefore a wetland of international significance. The Borough relies heavily on tourism for its economic livelihood.

This paper begins with an overview of the BoQ in geographic, demographic and economic terms and then discusses the possible effects and impacts of climate change, as they relate to this small community. These sections are viewed from environmental, economic and social perspectives. Environmental impacts include the erosion of the coastal sand dune system and the loss of habitat for the orange-bellied parrot. Social impacts include the health effects and dangers of flooding for low-lying housing. Various indicators of community response are described, particularly the activities of the local climate change action group. Their strategy can essentially be described as a ‘push upward and downward’ approach. Innovative actions to implement this strategy are described in the paper.

Ecology of fish inhabiting the inter-tidal zone of Swan Bay, Victoria, Australia

Swan Bay is a shallow marine embayment of Port Phillip Bay, just north of Queenscliff, Victoria. It has been part of the Harold Holt Marine Reserves since 1977 and is a seagrass habitat. This study investigated the species of fish present in the inter-tidal zone of Swan Bay, collected information on their ecology, investigated the importance of Swan Bay compared to Port Phillip Bay as a nursery and/or breeding area and compared these results with those of similar seagrsss habitats. Field work was carried out monthly over a two year period, from April 1981 to April 1983, using beach seine nets at Swan Bay and Portarlington. Forty four species of fish were identified from Swan Bay and nineteen from Portarlington. Fish were most abundant during the summer and autumn months when seagrass growth was at a maximum and least abundant during winter due to the absence of seasonal residents and decreased numbers of permanent residents. Swan Bay was found to be an important nursery ground for two commercially-caught species: the Yellow-eye Mullet and the King George Whiting. Juvenile Yellow-eye Mullet were more numerous in Swan Bay than at Portarlington. Smell juvenile King George Whiting were more abundant at Portarlington than in Swan Bay where older juveniles were more numerous. The fish fauna of Swan Bay was found to be similar to western Port but the abundance of species varied. Atherinosome microstoma was the dominant species in terms of abundance and biomass. Diet was found to be different from that reported by Robertson (1979) at Western Port due to the different range of prey items.

Does Australia's treatment of non-citizens accord with its international human rights obligations? with specific reference to the treatment of on-shore refugees

The son of immigrants, I was motivated to write a paper addressing the issues of alienation and discrimination which confronts non-citizens upon arriving in Australia. Apart from descendants of Australia's indigenous population, the common bond shared by all citizens and permanent residents of Australia is that they are either themselves immigrants or are descended from immigrants. In this paper I will look at whether Australia's law and practice meets its international human rights treaty and convention obligations vis-a-vis non-citizens. To investigate this issue I trace the history of immigration to Australia and look at the political policies which influenced the treatment of non-citizens from 1788 to present times. In 1958 when my parents stepped upon Australian soil as displaced persons, Australia was a very different place from Australia in the 1990s. At that time Australia was still firmly under the influence of the 'White Australia Policy' which openly encouraged discrimination against non-anglo saxons. Since those times Australia has advanced to become one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world where multiculturalism is encouraged and a non-discriminatory immigration program is supported by both Australia's major political parties. However, notwithstanding the great social advances made in Australia in recent decades the traditional legal sources of law, namely, judicial pronouncements, statutes and the Commonwealth Constitution have not kept pace and it is my submission that Australia's body of law inadequately protects the rights of non-citizens when compared to Australia's international human rights convention and treaty obligations. This paper will consider these major sources of law and will investigate how they have been used in the context of the protection of the rights of non-citizens. It will be asserted that the weaknesses exposed in the Australian legal system can be improved by the adoption of a Bill of Rights1 which encompasses Australia's international human rights treaty and convention obligations. It is envisaged that a Bill of Rights would provide a framework applicable at the State, Territory and Federal levels within which issues pertaining to non-citizens could be resolved. The direction of this thesis owes much to the writings, advice and supervision of Dr. Imtiaz Omar who was always available to discuss the progress of this work. Dr. Omar is a passionate advocate of human rights and has been a tremendous inspiration to me throughout my writing. I owe a debt of thanks to the partners of Coulter Burke who with good nature ignored the sprawl of books and papers on the boardroom table, often for days at a time, thus enabling me to return to my writing from time to time as my inspirational juices ebbed and waned. Thanks also go to my typists Julie Pante, Vesna Dudas and Irene Padula who worked after hours and on weekends always without complaint, on the various versions of this thesis. My final acknowledgement goes to my wife Paula who during the years that I was working on this thesis encouraged me during my darker moments and listened to all my frustrations yet never doubted that I would one day complete the task successfully. I wish to thank her wholeheartedly for her motivation and belief in my abilities. The law relied upon in the thesis is as at the 30th June, 1998. Bill or Charter of Rights 'are taken to be enactments which systematically declare certain fundamental rights and freedoms and require that they be respected'. See Evans, G. 'Prospect and Problems for an Australian Bill of Rights' (1970) 3 Australian Year Book of International Law 1 at 16. Some such notable exception is the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, contained in an ordinary statute.

From fibro shacks to McMansions: considering the impact of housing change on the sense of place in the historic Victorian coastal towns of Sorrento and Queenscliff

Eighty per cent of Australians now live within 50 kilometres of the coast.1 While most of the population remains concentrated in the large capital cities, some people have chosen small coastal towns as their permanent and or second-home destination. Greater mobility and income has increased the feasibility and attractiveness of living in these once overlooked and forgotten towns. The arrival of these new residents has changed the towns in both positive and negative ways. Declining traditional industries have been replaced by tourism and service sectors, providing a much-needed economic revival. The expectations of new residents, both permanent and non-permanent, however, have also brought challenges to the towns. Metropolitan value systems sometimes impact negatively on the unique sense of place and neighbourhood character of these towns. This paper presents both quantitative and qualitative evidence of the impact on character and sense of place in two historic coastal towns, Queenscliff and Sorrento, in southern Victoria. Census data shows how employment and the number of permanent residents have changed radically over the last 50-60 years, altering the social fabric of the towns. An analysis of the building footprint over a similar timeframe shows a growth in building size as larger houses become more common, and a growth in planning appeals for the towns is indicative of a clash of expectations between the council, long-time and new residents. While these indicators demonstrate the impact on the character of the towns as defined by their built environment, some oral accounts of local residents are used to show the emotional impact of these changes on the traditional sense of place associated with these towns. Some specific examples of changes to the built environment are provided to demonstrate that local planning schemes are not always successful in protecting neighbourhood character and that further measures are required in order to safeguard the uniqueness of coastal towns from the negative aspects of development.

Visual impairment and socioeconomic factors

BACKGROUND: Information about socioeconomic factors associated with visual impairment can assist in the design of intervention programmes. Such information was collected by the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project (Melbourne VIP). METHODS: The Melbourne VIP was a population based study of non-institutionalised permanent residents in nine suburbs of the Melbourne metropolitan area aged 40 years of age and older. A standardised eye examination was provided to eligible residents which included a structured interview. Variables of interest for this analysis were age, sex, country of birth, language spoken at home, education level, use of private health insurance, employment status, and living arrangements. Visual impairment was defined as a best corrected visual acuity < 6/18 and/or visual field constriction to within 20 degrees of fixation. RESULTS: A total of 3271 (83%) residents participated. Participants ranged in age from 40 to 98 years; 54% were female. Forty four (1.34%) were classified as visually impaired due to visual acuity and/or visual field loss. To evaluate the independent association of the significant sociodemographic variables with visual impairment, a regression model was constructed that included age, retirement status, use of private health insurance, and household arrangement. The results showed that age was the significant predictor of visual impairment (OR: 3.19; CI: 2.29-4.43), with the mean age of people with visual impairment significantly older (75.0 years) compared with people without visual impairment (58.2 years) (t test = 9.71; p = 0.0001). Of the 44 visually impaired people, 39 (87%) were aged 60 years of age and older. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that age is the most significant factor associated with visual impairment. Of some importance was the finding that people with visual impairment were less likely to have private health insurance. With the aging of the population, the number of people affected by visual impairment will increase significantly. Intervention programmes need to be established before the onset of middle age to offset the escalation of visual impairment in the older population.

Refugees and residents: densities and habitat preferences of lorikeets in urban Melbourne

Lorikeet densities were measured across four habitat types in urban Melbourne. Musk Glossopsitta concinna and Rainbow Lorikeets Trichoglossus haematodus were shown to preferentially use established streetscapes with predominantly native vegetation. The high densities of Musk Lorikeets recorded possibly reflect a paucity of flowering in Victorian BoxIronbark forests during the autumnlwinter of 2002 and the availability of supplementary nectar resources in the urban environment. Future planting decisions in recently developed streetscapes will dictate the long-term resource potential for lorikeets and other nectarivores in urban Melbourne.

Multisensory environments for leisure: promoting well-being in nursing home residents with dementia

Multisensory environments such as Snoezelen^® rooms are becoming increasingly popular in health care facilities for older individuals. There is limited reliable evidence of the benefits of such innovations, and the effect they have on residents, caregivers, and visitors in these facilities. This two-stage project examined how effective two types of multisensory environments were in improving the well-being of older individuals with dementia. The two multisensory environments were a Snoezelen room and a landscaped garden. These environments were compared to the experience of the normal living environment. The observed response of 24 residents with dementia in a nursing home was measured during time spent in the Snoezelen room, in the garden, and in the living room. In the second part of the project, face-to-face interviews were conducted with six caregivers and six visitors to obtain their responses to the multisensory environments. These interviews identified the components of the environments most used and enjoyed by residents and the ways in which they could be improved to maximize well-being.

Leisure experiences in tourist attractions : exploring the motivations of local residents

This study was conducted to explore leisure motivations with regard to tourist attractions. A survey of a convenience sample of residents of Melbourne, Australia, was conducted. The sample was then segmented based on the likelihood of visiting a cross-section of Melbourne's tourist attractions in the next 6 months. Analysis using Unger and Kernan's (1983) Subjective Leisure Scale (SLS) was then undertaken to explore whether there were differences across the segments in terms of their leisure motivations. The results highlight that, within this context, intrinsic satisfaction, perceived freedom and arousal emerged as stronger underlying dimensions of motivations to visit tourist attractions, rather than mastery, spontaneity and involvement. This information provides insights for marketers of tourist attractions with regard to what residents are seeking when they visit local tourist attractions. The information can be used to develop more positive experiences at tourist attractions for this important sector of the market.

Satisfaction with general practitioner treatment of depression among residents of aged care facilities.

Objective: This article investigates consumer perspectives on the treatment for depression among older people in residential facilities. Method: Aged care residents who were aware of being treated for depression in the past 6 months (24 women and 7 men, mean age = 83 years) participated in an interview that assessed their perspective on treatments. Results: Although more than half of the participants in the sample reported overall satisfaction with the medical treatments received for depression, qualitative data provided indications of unsatisfactory service delivery, including perceptions of low treatment efficacy, short consultation times, the failure to assess affective symptomatology, and negative responses to residents’ disclosure of symptoms. Discussion: The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on consumer satisfaction with health services and issues that may be pertinent to the elderly depressed. Training for general practitioners providing treatment in aged care is indicated.

Is rehabilitation associated with change in functional status among nursing home residents?

Assessing functional status of residents in nursing homes is one way to evaluate the quality of care provided. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether rehabilitation interventions could lead to improved functional independence. A prospective study was carried out to examine the change in activities of daily living (ADL) of 310 residents aged 65 or above over a period of 6 months. About 41.3% (n = 128) received rehabilitation therapy. Functional improvement was observed in 30.6% of the participants. The corresponding figures for stabilization and functional decline were 45.2% and 24.2%, respectively. Using a multinomial logistic regression, we found that factors significantly associated with change in functional status included baseline ADL score, family visit, number of beds in the institution, and transfer to acute hospitals. After adjusting for these confounding variables, change in functional status of those who received rehabilitation and those who did not was not significantly different.

The prevalence and recognition of major depression among low-level aged care residents with and without cognitive impairment

Previous research has demonstrated a high level of depression in nursing homes. The current study was designed to determine the prevalence of depression, using a structured diagnostic interview, among older people with and without mild-moderate cognitive impairment residing in low-level care facilities. The results demonstrated that, consistent with previous research in nursing homes, 16.9% of older people were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Less than half of these cases had been detected or treated. Individuals with moderate cognitive impairment were more likely to be depressed, but cognitive impairment did not appear to act as a strong impediment to the detection of depression by general practitioners. A low awareness of their use of antidepressant medications was demonstrated among older people prescribed this treatment, including those with normal cognitive function. Reasons for the poor recognition of depression among older people are discussed.

An individualized psychosocial approach for "treatment resistant" behavioral symptoms of dementia among aged care residents

Background: Behavioral symptoms of dementia are common among residents in mainstream aged care settings, and have a substantial impact on residents and professional caregivers. This study evaluated the impact of individualized psychosocial interventions for behavioral symptoms through a small preliminary study.
Method: Interventions were delivered to a patient group of 31 psychogeriatric aged care residents who presented with behavioral symptoms of dementia that had failed to respond to pharmacological treatment approaches. Outcome data on severity of behaviors, health service utilization and staff burden of care were collected.
Results: A modest but significant reduction in staff ratings of the severity of aggressive and verbally agitated behavioral symptoms was found, with an associated reduction in their perceptions of the burden of caring for these patients. Reduced behavioral disturbance was associated with a reduction in the requirement for primary care consultations, and all participants were able to continue to reside in mainstream aged care facilities, despite an increase in the severity of dementia.
Conclusions: This study supported the use of individualized psychological strategies for behavioral symptoms at all stages of dementia. Methodological limitations of this preliminary study are discussed.