Merely the man in the street: community consultation in the planning of 1920s Melbourne

It is an accepted tenet of planning history that Australia's planning practice in the first half of the 20th century was dominated by experts delivering a package of international planning ideas. Is this story made more    complicated, however by the attitudes of the lay Australian to urban planning at this time? What role have the approaches of planners and planning  bodies played in advising the public of the best routes to take  towards comprehensive and appropriate planning? This paper discusses these  issues with use of examples of the general public's letters to  Melboume's Metropolitan Town Planning Commission (MTPC)( 1923-30) about planning issues in Melbourne; the MTPC's responses; and responsive propaganda generated by prominent Melbourne planner Saxil Tuxen (1885-1975).

An integrated study of the temporal and spatial variation in the supply of propagules, recruitment and assemblages of intertidal macroalgae on a wave-exposed rocky coast, Victoria, Australia

Recruitment is known to influence distributions and abundances of benthic marine organisms. It is therefore important to document patterns of variability in recruitment and how these relate to patterns in established assemblages. This study provides an integrated assessment of the temporal and spatial variation in supply and recruitment of propagules and established populations of several macroalgae. Propagules in water samples from two stages of the incoming tide, recruitment to artificial substrata and percentage cover of species established on the shore were recorded every 2 months from December 1994 to October 1995, in two zones of an intertidal, wave-exposed rocky shore. Variability in recruitment was measured at three spatial scales: 10s cm, 100s cm and 100s m. Availability and recruitment of most taxa were greatest between April and August, although many species had available propagules and recruited throughout the year. Temporal variation in the established assemblages was, however, more species-specific. Differences in established assemblages between zones were reflected in differences in availability and recruitment of propagules between zones. Recruitment could not be predicted directly from supply of propagules, but the two processes were linked. For most species, the greatest variation in recruitment occurred at the smallest spatial scale of 10s cm, although there was also considerable large-scale (between site) variation in recruitment of several species. Results indicate that while pre-and post-settlement mortality are likely to influence macroalgal distribution and abundance, the temporal and spatial variability in supply and recruitment of propagules can explain much of the patchiness in macroalgal assemblages.

The medical provision of hydration and nutrition: Two very different outcomes in Victoria and Florida

Decisions to withhold or withdraw medical hydration and nutrition are amongst the most difficult that confront patients and their families, medical
and other health professionals all over the world. This article discusses two cases relating to lawful withdrawal and withholding of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG) from incompetent patients with no hope of recovery. Victoria and Florida have statutory frameworks that provide for advance directives, however in both Gardner; Re BWV and Schindler v Schiavo; Re Scliiavo the respective patients did not leave documented instructions. The article analyses the two cases and their outcomes from legal, medical and ethical perspectives.

A benchmark study on housing defects in Victoria, Australia

The construction industry consists of many small businesses employing less than five people. A challenge to the construction industry is to ensure that the many small firms and sub-contractors keep producing quality housing to meet the needs of their customers and clients. In attempts to continually improve the quality of housing various policies and mechanisms have been adopted. These have included industry sponsored quality programs and industry administered builder registration. However, these attempts have failed because of consumer mistrust of industry-sponsored programs. In addition, these mechanisms have been introduced in isolation and not as a part of an integrated industry initiative that includes education and training from the trade to tertiary level construction management courses. This work contributes to knowledge through a detailed on-going study of housing quality and defects. This research identifies the common forms of defects, which occur in housing and their incidences. The overall aim of this paper is to report the identification of defects in housing and the establishment of benchmarks (or a baseline) for the incidence defects in various functional elements within a house. It also suggests the areas where defects are likely to occur. From the knowledge gained from the study, industry and governments may make informed decisions of where resources may be directed to the areas where it will be most beneficial both to the house builder and the end user (customer). For this to occur the findings of this research will be disseminated into the housing industry and eventually integrated into tertiary courses in building and construction
management.

The need for a higher custody threshold for indigenous offenders in Victoria

Over-representation of indigenous persons in the criminal justice system has changed little since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) - claim by the Victorian Department of Justice that a key recommendation of RCIADIC had been implemented, namely that imprisonment should be a sentence of last resort for indigenous offenders - how to ensure that imprisonment is a sanction of last resort when indigenous prisoners present for sentence.

The rise and rise of Crown appeals in Victoria

Increasing numbers of Crown appeals against sentences in Victoria - majority of appeals have been successful - what has occurred in relation to Crown appeals against sentence in the Victorian Court of Criminal Appeal between February 2002 and February 2004 - whether increase in Crown appeals is a continuing phenomenon - comparison with the jurisdictions of New South Wales and the UK - principles that govern Crown appeals may need to be reconsidered.

Environment, resource sustainability and sustainable behaviour: exploring perceptions of students in South West Victoria

The movement toward a sustainable future has begun in many parts of the world, as the seriousness of the environmental problems faced by the planet become more widely recognised. Waste reduction, improved efficiency of energy use, water saving devices and changes in modes of transport are the first steps in the transition to a sustainable future. The students of today will be the decision makers of tomorrow and, thus, can have a significant effect on future development and the environmental
impacts of that development. If students today are to become active participants in the environmental decision-making process, education for sustainability becomes a key component in ensuring sustainable futures. There is a need to establish data describing students’ attitudes toward environmental and resource sustainability issues so that challenges to implementing sustainable development policy can be better recognised. The aims of this study were to identify the perceptions of students in
the south west region of Victoria regarding environment and resource sustainability, and to identify their level of participation in sustainable behaviours. A survey of students has found that global environmental issues perceived by students as being in urgent need of attention were access to freshwater, loss of tropical rainforest and exhaustion of natural resources. At the local level the most urgent issues identified were water pollution, salinization and soil degradation, and clearing of native vegetation. Students perceive that Australians are overusing natural resources. They indicated particular concern for the sustainability of fossil fuels, water, coastal environments and fisheries resources. The results of this study indicate that students are responding to concerns for the environment and resource sustainability by embracing some forms of sustainable behaviour. However, as educators we need to ensure that
the link is made between environment and resource sustainability and the implementation of policies that will further encourage sustainable behaviour.

The breeding biology of the White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina) on Mud Islands, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria

The White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina) is restricted to three breeding colonies within Victoria: Mud Islands and South Channel Fort in Port Phillip Bay, and Tullaberga Island off Mallacoota. Numbers of these storm petrels breeding on Mud Islands have declined considerably since early last century. White-faced Storm Petrels were recorded on Mud Islands from early September 2002 until mid-March 2003 when the last chicks fledged. Eggs were laid from late October to early December, with chicks hatching in the later half of December. The mean incubation period was 51.7 days (± 3.2 days (s.d.), range = 38–53, n = 13), and may have been extended by periods of egg neglect. The mean nestling period was 54.8 days (± 4.4 days (s.d.), range 50–70, n = 21). Chick growth is described. Hatching success was 54% and fledging success was 77.8%, with overall breeding success being 42%. Burrow densities were found to be influenced by plant species, vegetation height and soil moisture. The position of the burrow within the colony was shown to influence breeding success, with those nearer the edge of the storm petrel colony, closer to the marsh, and further from a colony of Australian White (Threskiornis molucca) and Straw-necked (T. spinicollis) Ibis recording higher success.

Effect of flooding on estuarine bivalve populations near the mouth of the Hopkins River, Victoria, Australia

The densities of two common intertidal/shallow subtidal bivalves, Soletellina alba and Arthritica helmsi, were sampled in vegetated and unvegetated habitats of the Hopkins River estuary on three occasions during the  autumn/winter 1995.Winter flooding coincided with mass mortalities of the infaunal bivalve S. alba, but not A. helmsi. Mortalities were apparent for individuals living deeper in the sediment (≈35 cm) in vegetated and unvegetated habitats, but small S. alba (<1mm) were less susceptible to mortality than larger individuals (>1mm). Mortalities were similar across different habitat types and sediment depths, and at multiple sites within close proximity to the estuary mouth.

Spatial and temporal definition of Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus (Thomson) (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Gippsland Lakes system of eastern Victoria

The confirmed vector of Ross River virus, Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus (Thomson), is the dominant mosquito species inhabiting saline marshes in coastal Victoria. This paper re-examines previously published data on Oc. camptorhynchus, plus additional data collected since that time, and provides greater spatial and temporal definition of Oc. camptorhynchus numbers at seven sites across the Gippsland Lakes system of eastern Victoria. A total of 357 672 Oc. camptorhynchus was captured from 1188 trap-nights across the seven trap sites during trapping seasons from 1990 to 2001. The  dominance of Oc. camptorhynchus across the seven sites averaged 75%, with significant differences in mean abundance of Oc. camptorhynchus found between all trap sites. Significant differences in monthly abundance of Oc. camptorhynchus were observed for Wellington Shire. Increase in populations of Oc. camptorhynchus was associated with increases in rainfall at all trap sites, higher minimum temperatures at two of the seven trap sites, and wind speed at one trap site. Prioritisation of mosquito control may be applied based on spatial and temporal factors according to the findings of this study.

Implementing integrated coastal zone management through the use of coastal action plans: lessons from Victoria

There are currently no performance indicators in place for assessing the successful implementation of Victoria,'s strategic plans (Coastal Action Plans, CAPs) in achieving Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) at a regional level. This article explores the findings of a study which assessed the success of the approach adopted in Victoria under the State Coastal Management Act 1995 to implement ICZM through CAPs. The study developed a set of criteria for measuring this success. We conclude with a discussion of how appropriate such an approach may be in other jurisdictions.