Green Star points obtained by Australian building projects

The green building trend has increased rapidly worldwide in recent decades as a means of addressing growing concerns over climate change and global warming and to reduce the impact of the building industry on the environment. A significant contribution in Australia is the use of a series of rating tools by the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) for the certification of various types of buildings. This paper reviews the use of the Green Star system in Australian building construction, and investigates the potential challenges involved in acquiring the certification of Australian buildings by critically analysing a database of most recently certified GBCA projects. The results show that management-related credits and innovation-related credits are the easiest and most difficult respectively to obtain. Additionally, 6-Star green buildings achieve significantly higher points than other certified buildings in the Energy category. In contrast, 4 Star green buildings achieve more points in the Material category than 5 and 6 Star buildings. The study offers a useful reference for both property developers and project teams to obtain a better understanding of the rating scheme and consequently the effective preparation of certification documentation.

Correct procedures and cutting corners: a qualitative study of women's occupational health and safety in a beauty therapy industry

Objective: To examine the context of occupational health and safety related to blood-borne communicable diseases practice. Methods: A case study approach using qualitative semi-structured interviews with five key informants who represented different sectors of the beauty therapy industry in South Australia. Results: Four main themes were identified: (i) exposure to blood and blood-borne communicable diseases; (ii) prevention in practice; (iii) OH&S problems; and (iv) industry needs. Conclusion: Key OH&S issues in the beauty therapy industry include: power relationships between employers and employees, equipment costs, the need for more continuing education, and monitoring of practitioners. Implications: Economic constraints, continuing education, and government regulation of the beauty therapy industry are highlighted as significant areas for further consideration in addressing the OH&S needs of practitioners and their clients.

Hepatitis C in the workplace : a survey of women’s occupational health and safety in the beauty therapy industry

Objective: To examine current knowledge and practice of occupational health and safety (OH&S) regarding hepatitis C in beauty therapy practice. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all beauty therapy practices identified through the Telstra Yellow Pages and distributed via beauty therapy product agencies. Results: 119 questionnaires were completed by employers and employees in 99 beauty therapy practices in metropolitan Adelaide. Beauty therapists reported carrying out many practices that had exposed them to blood in the past. More than 80% of the procedures carried out by beauty therapists in the previous week were reported to have led to exposure to blood. 39.5% of respondents had not received information about OH&S practices related to blood spills and 77.5% of respondents had received no OH&S information about hepatitis C. Knowledge of hepatitis C and its transmission was poor, with 62% of respondents incorrectly identifying the prevalence of hepatitis C and respondents incorrectly identifying sneezing (28%), kissing (46%) and sharing coffee cups (42%) as a modes of transmission. 80% of beauty therapy practices had no OH&S representative. Conclusion: Beauty therapy practice can expose both operator and client to blood and is therefore a potential site for the transmission of blood-borne diseases including hepatitis C. OH&S information is inadequate in this industry and knowledge of hepatitis C is poor.

Regulating the coal industry : striking a balance between commercial and public interests - a Queensland case study

The coal industry in Queensland operates in a very complex regulatory environment with a matrix of Federal and State laws covering the environment, health and safety, taxation and royalties, tenure, and development approvals. The Queensland Government in 2012 recognised the validity of certain industry concerns and passed two Acts being the Environmental Protection (Greentape Reduction) Amendment Act 2012 (the Greentape Act) and the Mines Legislation (Streamlining) Amendment Act 2012 (the Streamlining Act). Other changes are foreshadowed in relation to overlapping tenure and in the development of common resources legislation. Accordingly there is a great level of activity and change that has occurred or which is on the horizon. This article focuses upon these regulatory changes and foreshadows other areas requiring consideration. It commences with a consideration of the changes that have already occurred, examines those regulatory amendments that are on the drawing board and concludes with suggestions as to further interventions and amendments that have the potential to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the legislative framework in which coal mining is conducted.

The knock-on from the knock-off : recent shifts within Australian mass market fashion design practice

Australia's mass market fashion labels have traditionally benefitted from their peripheral location to the world's fashion centres. Operating a season behind, Australian mass market designers and buyers were well-placed to watch trends play out overseas before testing them in the Australian marketplace. For this reason, often a designer's role was to source and oversee the manufacture of 'knock-offs', or close copies of northern hemisphere mass market garments. Both Weller and Walsh have commented on this practice.12 The knock-on effect from this continues to be a cautious, derivative fashion sensibility within Australian mass market fashion design, where any new trend or product is first tested and proved overseas months earlier. However, there is evidence that this is changing. The rapid online dissemination of global fashion trends, coupled with the Australian consumer’s willingness to shop online, has meant that the ‘knock-off’ is less viable. For this reason, a number of mass market companies are moving away from the practice of direct sourcing and are developing product in-house under a northern hemisphere model. This shift is also witnessed in the trend for mass market companies to develop collections in partnership with independent Australian designers. This paper explores the current and potential effects of these shifts within Australian mass market design practice, and discusses how they may impact on both consumers and on the wider culture of Australian fashion.

Physical performance profile of sub-elite juvenile Gaelic Games players and the prevalence of a Relative Age Effect (RAE)

Gaelic Games are the indigenous sports played in Ireland, the most popular being Gaelic football and hurling. The games are contact sports and the physical demands are thought to be similar to those of Australian Rules football, rugby union, rugby league, field hockey, and lacrosse (Delahunt et al., 2011). The difference in chronological age between children in a single age group is known as relative age and its consequences as the RAE, whereby younger players are disadvantaged (Del Campo et al., 2010). The purpose of this study was to describe the physical and performance profile of sub-elite juvenile Gaelic Games players and to establish if a RAE is present in this cohort and any influence physiological moderator variables may have on this. Following receipt of ethical approval (EHSREC11-45), six sub-elite county development squads (Under-14/15/16 age groups, male, n=115) volunteered to partake in the study. Anthropometric data including skin folds and girths were collected. A number of field tests of physical performance including 5 and 20m speed, vertical and broad jump distance, and an estimate of VO2max were carried out. Descriptive data are presented as Mean SD. Juvenile sub-elite Gaelic Games players aged 14.53 0.82 y were 172.87 7.63 cm tall, had a mass of 64.74 11.06 kg, a BMI of 21.57 2.82 kg.m-2 and 9.22 4.78 % body fat. Flexibility, measured by sit and reach was 33.62 6.86 cm and lower limb power measured by vertical and broad jump were 42.19 5.73 and 191.16 25.26 cm, respectively. Participant time to complete 5m, 20m and an agility test (T-Test) was 1.12 0.07, 3.31 0.30 and 9.31 0.55 s respectively. Participant’s estimated VO2max was 48.23 5.05 ml.kg.min-1. Chi-Square analysis of birth month by quartile (Q1 = January-March) revealed that a RAE was present in this cohort, whereby an over-representation of players born in Q1 compared with Q2, Q3 and Q4 was evident (2 = 14.078, df = 3, p = 0.003). Kruskal-Wallis analysis of the data revealed no significant difference in any of the performance parameters based on quartile of birth (Alpha level = 0.05).This study provides a physical performance profile of juvenile sub-elite Gaelic Games players, comparable with those of other sports such as soccer and rugby. This novel data can inform us of the physical requirements of the sport. The evidence of a RAE is similar to that observed in other contact sports such as soccer and rugby league (Carling et al, 2009; Till et al, 2010). Although a RAE exists in this cohort, this cannot be explained by any physical/physiological moderator variables. Carling C et al. (2009). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport 19, 3-9. Delahunt E et al. (2011). Journal of Athletic Training 46, 241-5. Del Campo DG et al. (2010). Journal of Sport Science and Medicine 9, 190-198. Delorme N et al. (2010). European Journal of Sport Science 10, 91-96. Till K et al. (2010). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 20, 320-329.

A design led innovation approach to gathering deep customer insights in the aviation industry

Research has long documented the value that design brings to the innovation of products and services. The research landscape has transformed in the last decade and now reflects the value of design as a different way thinking that can be applied to the innovation of business models and catalyst for strategic growth. This paper presents a case study of gathering deep customer insights through a design led innovation approach and reveals industry perspectives and attitudes towards the value of deep customer insights within the context of a leading Australian airport corporation. The findings highlight that the process of gathering deep customer insights encourages a design led approach to testing assumptions and developing stronger customer engagement. The richness of the deep customer insights also provided a bridge to future thought by provoking possible product, service and business innovations which aligned to the airport corporation’s vision. The implications of the study reveal how quantitative market data, which reveals broad sociocultural trends into ‘how’ and ‘what’ customers interact with within an airport, can be strongly validated and built upon through qualitative deep customer insights that explore ‘why’ those choices to interact are made. Future research is then presented which aims to widely disseminate a design led approach to innovation within internal stakeholders of the airport corporation through the development of a digital strategy.

Australian TV news : New forms, functions, and futures

Australian TV News: New Forms, Functions, and Futures examines the changing relationships between television, politics and popular culture. Drawing extensively on qualitative audience research and industry interviews, this book demonstrates that while ‘infotainment’ and satirical programmes may not follow the journalism orthodoxy (or, in some cases, reject it outright), they nevertheless play an important role in the way everyday Australians understand what is happening in the world. This therefore throws into question some longstanding assumptions about what form TV news should take, the functions it ought to serve, and the future prospects of the fourth estate.

Design, sustainability and Australian mass-market fashion : three case studies

The production of fashion garments has negative environmental and social impacts that can potentially be reduced through decisions made in the design process. This research explores to what extent Australian mass-market fashion designers consider environmental sustainability within product design. The study presents three case studies from different market levels, assembled through interviews with designers, along with an analysis of the Australian mass-market fashion industry. The project provides insights into the workings of the fashion design process within mid and high volume companies, and identifies opportunities and barriers for consideration of sustainability.

The financial cost of hamstring strain injuries in the Australian Football League

Background/Aim Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) have remained the most prevalent injury in the Australian football league (AFL) over the past 21 regular seasons. The impact of HSIs in sport is often expressed as regular season games missed due to injury. However the financial cost of athletes missing games due to injury has not been investigated. The aim of this report is to estimate the financial cost of games missed due to HSIs in the AFL. Method Data was collected using publically available information from the AFL’s injury report and the official AFL annual report for the past 10 competitive AFL seasons. Average athlete salary and injury epidemiology data was used to determine the average yearly financial cost of HSIs for AFL clubs and the average financial cost of a single HSI over this time period. Results Across the observed period, average yearly financial cost of HSIs per club increased by 71% compared to a 43% increase in average yearly athlete salary. Over the same time period the average financial cost of a single HSI increased by 56% from $25,603 in 2003 to $40,021 in 2012, despite little change in HSI rates during the period. Conclusion The observed increased financial cost of HSIs was ultimately explained by the failure of teams to decrease HSI rates, but coupled with increases in athlete salaries over the past 10 season. The information presented in this report will highlight the financial cost of HSIs and other sporting injuries, raising greater awareness and the need for further funding for research into injury prevention strategies to maximise economical return for investment in athletes.

Stitching at the boundaries : Vietnamese garment industry workers in transnational spaces

This paper explores the interfaces between the transnational politics of labour and the experiences of Vietnamese women garment workers both in Vietnam and as migrants to other countries. As the global industries have come to organise much of the contemporary economic system, so too have they crossed national boundaries in search of cheap labour. At the same time enclaves of migrant disadvantage within the multi-ethnic nation-states of the developed world have also provided workers for the manufacture of clothing. In the case of Australia, these workers are mostly home-based and not in factories. In this paper I explore Vietnamese women's different incorporations into the garment industry in various locations – in Australia, in Vietnam, and in American Samoa. In so doing, I provide an analysis of the links between gender, global power relations and the contradictory space of transnational exchange.

High-risk, high-stake relationships: building effective industry-university partnerships for Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

Many industry peak and professional bodies advocate students undertake professional work placements as a key work integrated learning (WIL) experience in accredited university degree courses. However, mismatched expectations and gaps in the way industry partners (IPs) are supported during these work placements can place these high-stake alliances at risk. A review of models and strategies supporting industry partners indicates many are contingent on the continued efforts of well-networked individuals in both universities and IP organisations to make these connections work. It is argued that whilst these individuals are highly valued they often end up representing a whole course or industry perspective, not just their area of expertise. Sustainable partnership principles and practices with shared responsibility across stakeholder groups are needed instead. This paper provides an overview of work placement approaches in the disciplines of business, engineering and urban development at an Australian, metropolitan university. Employing action research and participatory focus group methodologies, it gathers and articulates recommendations from associated IPs on practical suggestions and strategies to improve relationships and the resultant quality of placements.

Design led innovation : shifting from smart follower to digital strategy leader in the Australian airport sector

This paper presents and discusses organisational barriers and opportunities arising from the dissemination of design led innovation within a leading Australian airport corporation. This research is part of a greater action research program which aims to integrate design as a strategic capability through design led innovation within Australian businesses. Findings reveal that there is an opportunity to employ the theoretical framework and tools of design led innovation in practice to build collaborative idea generation by involving customers and stakeholders within the proposal of new to world propositions. The iterative gathering of deep customer insights also provided an opportunity to leverage a greater understanding of stakeholders and customers in strengthening continuing business partnerships through co-design. Challenges to the design led approach include resistance to the exploratory nature of gathering deep customer insights, the testing of long held assumptions and market data, and the disruption of an organisational mindset geared toward risk aversion instilled within the aviation industry. The implication from these findings is that design led innovation can provide the critical platform to allow for a business to grow and sustain internal design capabilities necessary to challenge prevailing assumptions about how its business model operates to deliver value to customers and stakeholders alike. The platform of design led innovation also provides an avenue to support a cultural transformation towards anticipating future needs necessary for establishing a position of leadership within the broader economic environment.

An Australian study on partnerships to promote school to work transitions

The delivery of vocational education and training (VET) is being challenged by either increasing skills shortages and/or rapidly changing skill requirements. To respond to this challenge, centralised state bureaucracies are increasingly adopting partnerships between schools and industry as a strategy to encourage school to work transition programs to address the local labour market demand. This paper reports on an Australian case study of government-led partnerships named the Queensland Gateway to industry schools initiative. 12 out of 120 school industry partnerships from five industry sectors were analysed in terms of the two commonly identified principles derived from the public-private partnership literature; efficiency and effectiveness. The study found that efficiency and effectiveness benefits of partnership activities were attributed to Gateway schools projects by both school and industry stakeholders. However, little evidence was found that the above underlying principles were addressed systematically. Implications are that project stakeholders would benefit from adapting theoretical perspectives regarding the implementation and management of partnerships to ensure the sustainability of partnerships.

Innovation in the road and bridge industry

This paper reviews innovation activity in a key service industry – road and bridge construction. Based on a large-scale Australian survey and descriptive statistics, the paper finds that there is little difference in innovation levels between different types of industry participants and that innovation is difficult to implement. The survey gathered responses from suppliers, consultants, contracts and clients and compared results across these four industry sectors. The absorptive capacity and relationship capacities of respondents were also investigated. One in five respondents had poor absorptive capacity. Suppliers were found to the most effective learners and were the best adopters of ideas from outside their organisations and consultants were the least effective. Australian construction organisations have relatively good relationship skills because relationship-based contracts are common compared to other countries. Indeed, the survey found that nearly 60% of respondents had experience with such contracts, with clients having more experience than the other three sectors. The results have implications for the measurement of innovation in project-based industries, and the relative roles of clients and suppliers in driving innovation in the construction industry. Further research will examine the extent to which particular governance mechanisms within relationship contracts lead to improved innovation and project performance.