Role of land use and seasonal factors in water quality degradation

Surface water and groundwater are the most important water sources in the natural environment. Land use and seasonal factors play an important role in influencing the quality of these water sources. An in-depth understanding of the role of these two influential factors can help to implement an effective catchment management strategy for the protection of these water sources. This paper discusses the outcomes of an extensive research study which investigated the role of land use and seasonal factors on surface water and groundwater pollution in a mixed land use coastal catchment. The study confirmed that the influence exerted on the water environment by seasonal factors is secondary to that of land use. Furthermore, the influence of land use and seasonal factors on surface water and groundwater quality varies with the pollutant species. This highlights the need to specifically take into consideration the targeted pollutants and the key influential factors for the effective protection of vulnerable receiving water environments.

Sun, sea, sex, sand and soap

A recent issue of Young People Now (November 1995) mentioned the new (UK) Channel 4 television soap opera Hollyoaks by Phil Redmond, which raises the issue of the role of ‘soaps’ in the daily lives of young people. Australian soaps are especially popular in Britain and of interest to those who work with young people, because they have a high proportion of youthful looking actors and actresses and frequently depict scenes involving young people and apparent ‘real’ teenage dilemmas.

Sun, sea, sex, sand and conservatism in the Australian television soap opera

A recent issue of Young People Now (November 1995) mentioned the new (UK) television soap opera Hollyoaks by Phil Redmond, which raises the issue of the role of ‘soap operas’ (hereafter referred to as soaps) in the daily lives of young people. The term ‘soap’ originates with the sponsorship of radio and television programmes by companies such as Proctor and Gamble who in America in 1932 used a daytime radio domestic comedy, The Puddle Family to advertise Oxydol, a washing powder. The first British television soap was The Grove Family (BBC 1954-7) was followed by Emergency Ward Ten (ATV 1957-67), Coronation Street (Granada Television 1960-present) and Eastenders (BBC 1985-present). Australian soaps are especially popular in Britain and of potential interest to those who work with young people, because they have a high proportion of youthful looking actors and actresses and frequently depict scenes involving young people and apparent ‘real’ teenage dilemmas. On one level it may be commendable that actors who are young(ish) somewhere between the ages of 14 and 25 play roles that are ostensibly about young people and their alleged problems. However, the casting of young, largely unknown, actors reflects more the political economy of soaps in their relative cheapness and dispensability, rather than any genuine attempt to create an oppositional text for, about and by young people (Paterson 1986).

Industrial land price and its impact on urban growth : a Chinese case study

China is experiencing rapid progress in industrialization, with its own rationale toward industrial land development based on a deliberate change from an extensive to intensive form of urban land use. One result has been concerted attempts by local government to attract foreign investment by a low industrial land price strategy, which has resulted in a disproportionally large amount of industrial land within the total urban land use structure at the expense of the urban sprawl of many cities. This paper first examines “Comparable Benchmark Price as Residential land use” (CBPR) as the theoretical basis of the low industrial land price phenomenon. Empirical findings are presented from a case study based on data from Jinyun County, China. These data are analyzed to reveal the rationale of industrial land price from 2000 to 2010 concerning the CBPR model. We then explore the causes of low industrial land prices in the form of a “Centipede Game Model”, involving two neighborhood regions as “major players” to make a set of moves (or strategies). When one of the players unilaterally reduces the land price to attract investment with the aim to maximize profits arising from the revenues generated from foreign investment and land premiums, a two-player price war begins in the form of a dynamic game, the effect of which is to produce a downward spiral of prices. In this context, the paradox of maximizing profits for each of the two players are not accomplished due to the inter-regional competition of attracted investment leading to a lose-lose situation for both sides’ in competing for land premium revenues. A short-term solution to the problem is offered involving the establishment of inter-regional cooperative partnerships. For the longer term, however, a comprehensive reform of the local financial system, more adroit regional planning and an improved means of evaluating government performance is needed to ensure the government's role in securing pubic goods is not abandoned in favor of one solely concerned with revenue generation.

Land of Ludos : envisioning a game jam as storied space and game

The Land Of Ludos is a proposal or a design concept for a game that re-imagines the recorded Bluetooth device movements from the 2011 48 Hour Game Making Challenge as an interactive narrative experience. As game developers, the most interesting elements of the 48 Hour challenge data visualisation project is not measurement or analysis of process, but the relationships and narratives created during the experience. [exerpt truna aka j.turner, Thomas & Owen, 2013] See: truna aka j.turner, Thomas & Owen (2013) Living the indie life: mapping creative teams in a 48 hour game jam and playing with data, in proc IE'2013, 9th Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment, September 30 - October 01 2013, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Simulating land cover changes and their impacts on land surface temperature in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Despite research that has been conducted elsewhere, little is known, to-date, about land cover dynamics and their impacts on land surface temperature (LST) in fast growing mega cities of developing countries. Landsat satellite images of 1989, 1999, and 2009 of Dhaka Metropolitan (DMP) area were used for analysis. This study first identified patterns of land cover changes between the periods and investigated their impacts on LST; second, applied artificial neural network to simulate land cover changes for 2019 and 2029; and finally, estimated their impacts on LST in respective periods. Simulation results show that if the current trend continues, 56% and 87% of the DMP area will likely to experience temperatures in the range of greater than or equal to 30°C in 2019 and 2029, respectively. The findings possess a major challenge for urban planners working in similar contexts. However, the technique presented in this paper would help them to quantify the impacts of different scenarios (e.g., vegetation loss to accommodate urban growth) on LST and consequently to devise appropriate policy measures.

Perceptions of land-use uncertainty in Queensland's resource-based regions

Some of Queensland's regions are experiencing rapid changes related to the recent and growing capacity to more effectively exploit significant energy sources. These changes have triggered land-use conflicts between the mining sector and other economic sectors, mainly agriculture. These conflicts fuel existing uncertainty surrounding the current and future economic, social and environmental impacts of extractive industries. This paper explores the concept of uncertainty as it applies to planning for resource-based regions through a scoping analysis of regional stakeholders' perceptions of land-use uncertainty. It then investigates solutions to alleviate such an issue.

Assessing the suitability of market approach valuation methods for mine and quarry valuations

An area of property valuation that has attracted less attention than other property markets over the past 20 years has been the mining and extractive industries. These operations can range from small operators on leased or private land to multinational companies. Although there are a number of national mining standards that indicate the type of valuation methods that can be adopted for this asset class, these standards do not specify how or when these methods are best suited to particular mine operations. The RICS guidance notes and the draft IVSC guidance notes also advise the various valuations methods that can be used to value mining properties; but, again they do not specify what methods should be applied where and when. One of the methods supported by these standards and guidelines is the market approach. This paper will carry out an analysis of all mine, extractive industry and waste disposal sites sale transactions in Queensland Australia, a major world mining centre, to determine if a market valuation approach such as direct comparison is actually suitable for the valuation of a mine or extractive industry. The analysis will cover the period 1984 to 2011 and covers sale transactions for minerals, petroleum and gas, waste disposal sites, clay, sand and stone. Based on this analysis, the suitability of direct comparison for valuation purposes in this property sector will be tested.

Review of the nutrition policy of the Arnhem Land Progress Association

The process of implementation and the effect of the nutrition policy of the Arnhem Land Progress Association (ALPA) were reviewed three years after implementation of the policy in five remote Aboriginal community retail stores in May 1990. In 1993, compliance with the policy varied among stores. Recommended foods were available regularly in most communities; however, promotional and educational components of the policy were not widely implemented. Dietary improvements were evident in those communities where stores most complied with the policy. Some aspects of the ALPA nutrition policy require modification, and renewed commitment to the policy is likely to improve further the diet in the Aboriginal communities involved. The ALPA nutrition policy is a potential model for the development of other local food and nutrition policies in remote Aboriginal communities.

Assessing land-use and transport integration via a spatial composite indexing model

Achieving sustainable urban development is identified as one ultimate goal of many contemporary planning endeavours and has become central to formulation of urban planning policies. Within this concept, land-use and transport integration is highlighted as one of the most important and attainable policy objectives. In many cities, integration is embraced as an integral part of local development plans, and a number of key integration principles are identified. However, the lack of available evaluation methods to measure extent of urban sustainability levels prevents successful implementation of these principles. This paper introduces a new indicator-based spatial composite indexing model developed to measure sustainability performance of urban settings by taking into account land-use and transport integration principles. Model indicators are chosen via a thorough selection process in line with key principles of land-use and transport integration. These indicators are grouped into categories and themes according to their topical relevance. These indicators are then aggregated to form a spatial composite index to portray an overview of the sustainability performance of the pilot study area used for model demonstration. The study results revealed that the model is a practical instrument for evaluating success of local integration policies and visualizing sustainability performance of built environments and useful in both identifying problematic areas as well as formulating policy interventions.

Prickly pear land : transnational networks in settler Australia

The story of prickly pear in Australia is usually told as a tale of triumphant scientific intervention into an environmental disaster. Instead, this unarticle considers it as a transnational network in order to better understand the myriad of elements that made this event so important. Through this methodology emerges the complex nature of prickly pear land that included people, places, ideas, rhetoric and objects that traveled from all over the world into settler Australia.

Development of an integrated GIS and land use planning course : impacts of hybrid instructional methods

This study reports an action research undertaken at Queensland University of Technology. It evaluates the effectiveness of the integration of GIS within the substantive domains of an existing land use planning course in 2011. Using student performance, learning experience survey, and questionnaire survey data, it also evaluates the impacts of incorporating hybrid instructional methods (e.g., in-class and online instructional videos) in 2012 and 2013. Results show that: students (re)iterated the importance of GIS in the course justifying the integration; the hybrid methods significantly increased student performance; and unlike replacement, the videos are more suitable as a complement to in-class activity.