A framework for prioritising investment in natural resource management. If public funds applied to natural resource management are to achieve the highest level benefit, then the potential projects have to be prioritized. This is difficult when the expected benefits are both incommensurate (e.g. protection of roads v. areas of biodiversity) and uncertain. This project will evaluate alternative decision support methods for making such choices, with a particular focus on salinity management in We ....A framework for prioritising investment in natural resource management. If public funds applied to natural resource management are to achieve the highest level benefit, then the potential projects have to be prioritized. This is difficult when the expected benefits are both incommensurate (e.g. protection of roads v. areas of biodiversity) and uncertain. This project will evaluate alternative decision support methods for making such choices, with a particular focus on salinity management in Western Australia, although it is anticipated that the lessons learned could be applied to other NRM policies. The outcome will be a contribution to aid participatory decision making.Read moreRead less
Implementation of a strategic framework for investment for Natural Resource Management: evaluation and development. If public funds applied to natural resource management are to achieve the highest level benefit, then the potential projects have to be prioritized. This is difficult when the expected benefits are both incommensurate (e.g. protection of roads v. areas of biodiversity) and uncertain. This project will evaluate alternative decision support methods for making such choices, with a par ....Implementation of a strategic framework for investment for Natural Resource Management: evaluation and development. If public funds applied to natural resource management are to achieve the highest level benefit, then the potential projects have to be prioritized. This is difficult when the expected benefits are both incommensurate (e.g. protection of roads v. areas of biodiversity) and uncertain. This project will evaluate alternative decision support methods for making such choices, with a particular focus on salinity management in Western Australia, although it is anticipated that the lessons learned could be applied to other NRM policies. The outcome will be a contribution to aid participatory decision making.Read moreRead less
The Future of Australian Mineral Exports. Australia is among the world's largest exporters of steelmaking raw materials, specifically iron ore, coking coal and manganese. This project will develop an integrated econometric model of the global steel industry to forecast future trends in global steel production and the associated demand for raw materials. The results of this research will not only assist Australian mineral exporters in achieving better outcomes in annual pricing negotiations by im ....The Future of Australian Mineral Exports. Australia is among the world's largest exporters of steelmaking raw materials, specifically iron ore, coking coal and manganese. This project will develop an integrated econometric model of the global steel industry to forecast future trends in global steel production and the associated demand for raw materials. The results of this research will not only assist Australian mineral exporters in achieving better outcomes in annual pricing negotiations by improving market knowledge, but also help focus their longer term marketing strategies. The extensive global mine database to be assembled as part of the network flow component of this model will also allow Australian mineral exporters to assess their competitive position relative to foreign producers.Read moreRead less
Risk and Reliability in Stochastic Optimisation and Equilibrium. This project seeks to develop theory and methodology in optimisation which take advantage of recent progress in understanding and treating risk in decision making. Problems of optimisation in the face of uncertainty must confront the risk inherent in having to make reliable decisions before knowing the outcomes of crucial random variables on which costs and constraints may depend. Recent theoretical developments, featuring ‘measure ....Risk and Reliability in Stochastic Optimisation and Equilibrium. This project seeks to develop theory and methodology in optimisation which take advantage of recent progress in understanding and treating risk in decision making. Problems of optimisation in the face of uncertainty must confront the risk inherent in having to make reliable decisions before knowing the outcomes of crucial random variables on which costs and constraints may depend. Recent theoretical developments, featuring ‘measures of risk’ beyond just-expected values and quantiles offer hope of major new advances. This project aims to achieve such advances not only in optimisation but also in models of equilibrium that likewise have to deal with uncertainty. Extending current theory and methodology to such multi-stage stochastic models is a challenge. Besides taking up this challenge for its own sake, a major goal of this research will be to use the results in solution algorithms.Read moreRead less
Improving risk management based on short-term stochastic forecast for financial decisions. The project targets the problems of strategy selection in the framework of mathematical finance. The aim is to find ways to reduce the impact of forecast errors in the presence of uncertainty. Related forecasting algorithms and solutions of optimization problems will be obtained.