Investment performance within urban regeneration locations

Purpose – Property performance indices have invariably focused upon prime markets with a variety of approaches used to measure investment returns. However, there is relatively little knowledge regarding the investment performance of property in regeneration areas. Indeed, there is a perception that such locations carry increased risk and that the returns achieved may not be sufficient to offset the added risk. The main objective of this paper, therefore, is to construct regeneration property performance indicators consistent with the CBRE rent index and average yield monitor.

Design/methodology/approach – Local market experts were asked to estimate rents and yields for hypothetical standardised offerings for a range of regeneration locations throughout the UK, covering the period 1995 to 2002.

Findings – The results show that rental growth was similar in regeneration locations compared to the prime market. However, the analysis highlights a major yield shift for property in regeneration areas in the short to medium term. The downward pressure in yields would suggest that once a regeneration area becomes established and rental growth emerges, investor interest is stimulated resulting in increased competition and a shortening of yields.

Originality/value – The significance of this research is the quantification of property investment performance from regeneration areas that previously has not been available to investment institutions and decision makers. From a policy perspective this analysis is of relevance in confirming the maturing of locations that have received high levels of public sector support and indicating the effectiveness of regeneration policy mechanisms in creating sustainable urban environments capable of meeting private sector investment goals.

Evaluation of the robustness of predictive yield models based on catchment characteristics using GIS for reservoir fisheries in Sri Lanka

Land-use patterns in the catchment areas of Sri Lankan reservoirs, which were quantified using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), were used to develop quantitative models for yield prediction. The validity of these models was evaluated through the application to five reservoirs that were not used in the development of the models, and by comparing with the actual fish yield data of these reservoirs collected by an independent body. The robustness of the predictive models developed was tested by principal component analysis (PCA) on limnological characteristics, land-use patterns of the catchments and fish yields. The predicted fish yields in five Sri Lankan reservoirs, using the empirical models based on the ratios of forest cover and/or shrub cover to reservoir capacity or reservoir area were in close agreement with the observed fish yields. The scores of PCA ordination of productivity-related limnological parameters and those of land-use patterns were linearly related to fish yields. The relationship between the PCA scores of limnological characteristics and land-use types had the appropriate algebraic form, which substantiates the influence of the limnological factors and land-use types on reservoir fish yields. It is suggested that the relatively high predictive power of the models developed on the basis of GIS methodologies can be used for more accurate assessment of reservoir fisheries. The study supports the importance and the need for an integrated management strategy for the whole watershed to enhance fish yields.

Occupational health and safety management systems : system types and effectiveness

The aim of this thesis is to develop a framework to evaluate the relative performance of different types of health and safety management system. This objective is an analytical one, but it stems from a policy issue of public importance. Over the past decade Australia, like other countries, has seen the emergence and growth of interest in developing health and safety management systems. But are they all the same, and if not, do they differ in their effectiveness? The thesis does not seek to give a definitive answer to these questions. Given the novelty of the phenomenon and the lack of research on this subject, the research is exploratory. An hypothesis about the effectiveness of different health and safety management systems is developed rather than tested. The thesis proceeds by first defining health and safety management systems as a combination of the planning and review, the management arrangements, the consultative arrangements and the specific program elements that work together in an integrated way to improve health and safety performance. A research procedure is described involving twenty exploratory case studies. The thesis then - develops - from the literature and the case study research - an analytical framework to evaluate the performance of different health and safety management systems. That framework has two parts. First is a typology of health and safety management systems. This is constructed from two distinctions - between 'safe place' and 'safe person' approaches to health and safety; and between 'innovative' and traditional' management methods and structures. These distinctions yield four types of system. The typology was applied to the case studies which yielded a reasonable fit in most instances. The second part of the framework is a 'process evaluation' technique akin to Quality standards. Derived from the Victorian SafetyMAP audit criteria, the "e;process evaluation tool "e; is preferred to traditional outcome measures such as incident or claim rates. Using this measure, the twenty case study enterprises were classified as above average, average or below average in performance. These results correlated poorly with traditional incident trend and benchmark measures. The two elements of the framework are then combined to explore the relationship between the different types of system and their performance. Evidence from the twenty case studies showed a tendency for innovative/safe place firms to perform better than traditional/safe person firms. This finding can form the basis for a hypothesis that may be subject to statistical testing on a generalisable sample. In addition five 'best practice' cases were selected and subjected to a cross case analysis to search for common characteristics that might explain their performance. This analysis suggests the importance of a number of factors: senior managers who drive health and safety change and mobilise all possible resources in the pursuit of change; health and safety representatives who work with managers in a 'joint regulatory relationship' across system activities; the involvement of employees more generally, but not as a substitute for action by managers and health and safety representatives; a comprehensive approach to elimination of all hazards; and the introduction of innovative programs to continually improve systems and facilitate employee involvement in health and safety.

Epidemiology and management of Penaeus monodon farms in Andhra Pradesh, India

Disease outbreaks on shrimp farms studied in Andhra Pradesh were caused mainly by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) significantly reducing yield. Shrimp seed was the major source of WSSV but several risk factors were also involved. Implementation of better management practices (BMPs) at farm and farm cluster level through formation of Self-Help Groups could significantly improve crop outcomes in farms.

Potential new sources of wheat curl mite resistance in wheat to prevent the spread of yield-reducing pathogens

The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer (Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae), is a major pest in cropping regions of the world and is recognised as the primary vector of several yield-reducing pathogens, primarily affecting wheat. Management of WCM is complicated due to several aspects of the mite's biology and ecology; however, commercially viable mite resistant wheat varieties may offer practical long-term management options. Unfortunately, mite populations have adapted to previously identified sources of resistance, highlighting the need for further sources of resistance and the value of stacking different resistances to give greater degrees and longevity of control. In this study we assessed the susceptibility of 42 wheat-derived genotypes to mite population growth using a new experimental method that overcomes methodological limitations of previous studies. Experimental wheat lines included a variety of wheat genotypes, related Triticeae species, wheat-alien chromosome amphiploids, and chromosome addition or substitution lines. From these we identify new promising sources of WCM resistance associated with Thinopyrum intermedium, Th. ponticum and Hordeum marinum chromosomes. More specifically we identify group 1J and 5J chromosomes of the L3 and L5 wheat-Th. intermedium addition lines as new sources of resistance that could be exploited to transfer resistance onto homoeologous wheat chromosomes. This study offers new methods for reliable in situ estimations of mite abundance on cereal plants, and new sources of WCM resistance that may assist management of WCM and associated viruses in wheat.

Mitigation of N₂O emissions from surface-irrigated cropping systems using water management and the nitrification inhibitor DMPP

Soils under irrigated agriculture are a significant source of nitrous oxide (N2O) owing to high inputs of nitrogen (N) fertiliser and water. This study investigated the potential for N2O mitigation by manipulating the soil moisture deficit through irrigation scheduling in combination with, and in comparison to, using the nitrification inhibitor, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP). Lysimeter cores planted with wheat were fitted with automated chambers for continuous measurements of N2O fluxes. Treatments included conventional irrigation (CONV), reduced deficit irrigation (RED), CONV-DMPP and RED-DMPP. The total seasonal volume of irrigation water applied was constant for all treatments but the timing and quantity in individual irrigation applications varied among treatments. 15N-labelled urea was used to track the source of N2O emissions and plant N uptake. The majority of N2O emissions occurred immediately after irrigations began on 1 September 2014. Applying RED and DMPP individually slightly decreased N2O emissions but when applied in combination (RED-DMPP) the greatest reductions in N2O emissions were observed. There was no effect of treatments on plant N uptake, 15N recovery or yield possibly because the system was not N limited. Half of the plant N and 53% to 87% of N2O was derived from non-fertiliser sources in soil, highlighting the opportunity to further exploit this valuable N pool.