The relationship between working arrangements and well-being in regional coal-mining communities. Our project aims to strengthen Australia's social fabric and help prevent psychological health problems by examining social capital in Australian coal mining communities in a holistic way. We integrate these aims with analysis of working and employment arrangements (including contracting and working hours), occupational health and safety and psychological well-being. Issues for groups that have not ....The relationship between working arrangements and well-being in regional coal-mining communities. Our project aims to strengthen Australia's social fabric and help prevent psychological health problems by examining social capital in Australian coal mining communities in a holistic way. We integrate these aims with analysis of working and employment arrangements (including contracting and working hours), occupational health and safety and psychological well-being. Issues for groups that have not been systematically considered before including women miners, long distance commute workers and miners' families, are to be addressed in this large scale Australian survey. This project helps strengthen Australian economic fabric by tackling some major labour problems facing the coal industry. Read moreRead less
Rural adjustment or structural transformation? Discovering the destinations of exiting farm families. The findings of this research will assist local, State and Federal governments to intervene effectively in processes of regional and rural structural adjustment. It will generate economic benefits by recommending policies that facilitate growth and promote sustainable rural businesses while at the same time sheltering rural communities and individual households from adverse outcomes. It will con ....Rural adjustment or structural transformation? Discovering the destinations of exiting farm families. The findings of this research will assist local, State and Federal governments to intervene effectively in processes of regional and rural structural adjustment. It will generate economic benefits by recommending policies that facilitate growth and promote sustainable rural businesses while at the same time sheltering rural communities and individual households from adverse outcomes. It will contribute social benefits by identifying policies to improve the outcomes of rural adjustment for families and individuals. The new knowledge it provides will inform the politics of regional change and remove some of the uncertainties that currently impede the implementation of rural adjustment policies.Read moreRead less
Developing criteria to help solve Australia's urban infrastructure crisis. The key items of infrastructure in our cities are seen to be in crisis. Yet despite a growing willingness to fund new infrastructure, governments at all levels struggle to devise, rank and deliver infrastructure projects. The project will recover and rebuild a language for understanding the role of infrastructure in Australian cities and then devise criteria for better enactment of the infrastructure procurement and provi ....Developing criteria to help solve Australia's urban infrastructure crisis. The key items of infrastructure in our cities are seen to be in crisis. Yet despite a growing willingness to fund new infrastructure, governments at all levels struggle to devise, rank and deliver infrastructure projects. The project will recover and rebuild a language for understanding the role of infrastructure in Australian cities and then devise criteria for better enactment of the infrastructure procurement and provisioning processes. The project's prime outcomes will intersect with a growing need for better ways to build and operate large economic infrastructure and thus contribute to building cities that perform better economically, are more liveable, and contribute to long term environmental sustainability goals.Read moreRead less