Category: Research

Archive for the ‘Research’ Category

Research refers to reports by organisations or research by academic institutions relating to urban sustainability issues within Melbourne. If you have research that relates to urban sustainability issues and could benefit people and organisations in Melbourne, please post this information on Sustainable Melbourne. To do so visit the “How to use this site” page and follow the prompts.

Event - Food for All - Learning from the Field Forum - 1 August

Posted in Events, Models, Policies, Research by Ferne Edwards on July 16th, 2008

This forum will provide an opportunity for individuals, community, business, agricultural sectors, government and academics to share learnings from the evaluation of the 9 local government authorities* involved in the Food for All program. Food for All aims to improve access to foods for healthy eating and food security.** The Hon. Joe Helper MP, Minister for Agriculture and Small Business will open the Forum.

SEMINAR DETAILS
Date: Friday 1 August 2008
Time: 9.00AM – 4.00PM
Venue: Sunshine Convention Centre Victoria University, Sunshine Campus, 460 Ballarat Road, Sunshine

Getting There: The Sunshine Convention Centre is at the Victoria University Sunshine Campus, on the corner of Ballarat Road and Westmoreland Road. Albion Station is a 10-minute walk along Ballarat Road (Western Road) from the Sunshine Convention Centre; buses also pass the venue.

Melways Ref: 26 J10

Parking: All day parking for $2 is available at the back of the Convention Centre (ensure that you park in the white lined areas or risk a fine).

Registration: Registration is free. Places are limited: registrations must be received by 23 July 2008.

Successful applicants will be notified within 1 week of registration.

Wheelchair Access

This forum will feature:

A presentation by the evaluator of the Food for All program,Dr Meg Montague.
Six workshops by project officers and/or their partners in which they will share strategies and insights from their activities to improve access to nutritious food and food security.
Recently funded projects in non-health sectors that strengthen and complement the work of Food for All program, including the Planning Institute of Australia (Vic), Deakin University and the Victorian Local Governance Association.
Two panels facilitated by Dr Norman Swan, multi-award winning producer and presenter of ABC Radio National’s Health Report:
- What is Food Security and Why Should We Care?
  Dr Cate Burns (VicHealth Research Fellow) will present a background to food insecurity in Victoria, while perspectives will come from Prof. Boyd Swinburn (WHO Collaborating Centre on Obesity Prevention and Related Research and Training), Mr Ian James (Economic Consultant to the Vegetable Industry), Mr Marcus Godinho (FareShare, formerly known as One Umbrella) and Ms Kirsten Larsen (Victorian Eco Innovation Lab).
- Reflection and Response to Opportunities and Challenges
  Highlighted by Dr Meg Montague’s Food for All evaluation findings. Panel members will include representatives from several government departments. A publication of case studies illustrating strategies implemented by individual projects will be launched and available for participants on the day.

Learning from the Field Forum - Flyer Registration Form [.doc]

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Event - Brave New World design seminar - 18 July

Posted in Events, Models, Research by Ferne Edwards on July 16th, 2008

Brave New World
Design Victoria, together with Furnishing Industry Association of Australia, Soft Furnishing Industry Association of Australia, Sustainability Victoria and Textile Distributors Association present the Design Ready Seminar – Brave new world.

Design Ready seminars demonstrate to Victorian small to medium enterprises how to successfully use design to increase competitiveness, innovation and export performance.

Seminar overview
Prepare to be challenged. Welcome to the new world where only design smart, fast thinking, fast acting industries will survive the global juggernaut that threatens to undermine previous successes and immediate futures.

Hear a design-led success story followed by presentations from leading thinkers and designer/ manufacturers who will deliver new ideas, new technologies, new materials and changes that await manufacturing industries in the new world.

Moderator
Annie Harper - Director, Ideanation

Speaker
Michael Bond - State Sales Manager, Zenith Interiors

Dr Ralph Horne - Director, Centre for Design, RMIT University

Robyn Galloway - Director, Galloway Design Collective / ESO - Environmentally Sustainable Objects

John Eussen - Director, Eussen PR Consulting

Dean Gaylor - Director, Mance Design

Who should attend?
This seminar will benefit in-house furniture/product designers, textile manufacturers, specifiers (wholesalers and distributors) and management of manufacturing businesses.

Seminar details
Friday 18 July 2008
7.15 am to 7.45 am - breakfast and registration
7.45 am to 9.15 am - presentation and question time

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Level 2, Auditorium
2 Clarendon Street, Southbank

Click here for directions to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Free bookings
RSVP by Tuesday 15 July 2008
Bookings are essential for catering.
Please book early as places are limited.

To RSVP please login to the Design Victoria and click ‘Register for Event’ and register your details.

Please direct further enquiries to David McLachlan on +61 3 9925 4195 or events@designvic.com

Event - Launch of “Troubled Waters” by Patrick Troy - 17 July

Posted in Events, Research by Ferne Edwards on July 16th, 2008

The book ‘Troubled Waters’ edited by Patrick Troy will be launched on
Thursday 17 July. See troubled waters flyer.

The launch will be by Graeme Hugo who will launch the book at the
conclusion of his Totota series public lecture on ‘Population and
Water’. (see Hugo lecture flyer) The launch will be in the Copland Lecture theatre at 6.00pm.

troubled_waters_flyer3.pdf

screen-0806028-hugo11.pdf

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Research & Event - Learning From The Field, VicHealth - 1 August

Posted in Events, Models, Policies, Research by Ferne Edwards on July 11th, 2008

Please see the message below that was posted on the Food Security Network email listserve - an awesome service for project officers, councils, community organisations and others who are addressing food security issues in their local areas in Melbourne. It is to facilitate discussion and the sharing of resources. To join visit http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Content.aspx?topicID=151#cs_783.

VicHealth - Learning From The Field
Friday 1st August 2008
9am – 4pm, Sunshine Convention Centre, Victoria University, 460 Ballarat Road, Sunshine

This forum will present a range of contributions from food security projects across the state funded through VicHealth’s Food for All program. Other complementary VicHealth funded projects will also be participating. VicHealth has published a set of case studies highlighting the strategies implemented by these projects, which will be launched on the day.

Food for All aims to increase regular access to and consumption of a variety of foods by people at risk of food insecurity. The nine participating local government authorities are: Brimbank City Council, Cardinia Shire/City of Casey, Greater Dandenong City Council, Frankston City Council, Maribyrnong City Council, Melton Shire Council, Swan Hill Rural City Council and Wodonga City Council.

Attendance for this FREE event is strictly limited and by registration only. You will receive information about the program and registration details during the week of 7 July.

If you would like to be on the mailing list for this forum, forward your contact details to scooper @vichealth.vic.gov.au
www.vichealth.vic.gov.au

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Seeking 8 person household for greywater trial

Posted in Research, Seeking by Ferne Edwards on July 7th, 2008

Greywater system trial

Do you want to be part of a greywater treatment system trial?

Ecowise Pty Ltd are about to undertake a six month trial of their greywater treatment system in order to achieve the relevant national accreditation which will allow it to be sold commercially. They are looking for an eight person household in the eastern or south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, that is willing to be part of the trial. This would involve allowing Ecowise to install the unit in the premise and conduct water testing every six days. Once the trial is over the system will be decommissioned and given to the household free of charge.

Once approval has been granted Ecowise will reconnect the system free of charge giving the homeowners a fully operational treatment system valued at around $8,000 including installation in exchange for participating in the trial.

If you are an eight person household and would like to participate in the trial please contact Brendan Mason for more details on 0448 307 282, or HydroMax Environmental PO Box 6121 Croydon North VIC 3136.

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Research & Event - The Health of Melbourne 2030: What Did The Experts Find? - 17 July

Posted in Events, Models, Policies, Research, Visions by Ferne Edwards on July 4th, 2008

Please view below the invitation to discuss the outcomes of the Health of Melbourne 2030 report with the discussion held by the VLGA. For more information about the background of the report, click here.

While the announcement of Development Assessment Committees took a lot of the public limelight recently, the findings of the Melbourne 2030 Audit Expert Group (AEG) that led to this and other State Government announcements were lost! As part of the first five-yearly review of Melbourne 2030, a group of four independent experts were asked by the Minister for Planning to provide advice on strategic and implementation priorities for the next five years. This included identifying where there is a need to refine policy and implementation initiatives to enhance Melbourne’s liveability.

The AEG has found that there are three essential issues that can and must be resolved for Melbourne 2030 to be successfully implemented:
• clarity of responsibility
• adequate resources, and
• broad-based support.

Come along to the VLGA’s Special Issues Forum, to explore these three essential issues. Speakers will include 2 members of the AEG, Rob Moodie and David Whitney. There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and to participate in a lively Panel Discussion.

7pm, Thursday July 17th (Light dinner and networking at 6pm) at the VLGA, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton.
Limited Numbers—RSVP Essential By Monday July 14th to 03 9349 7999 or vlga @vlga.org. au
Please let us know if you will attend the light dinner and/or networking at 6pm and the Special Issues Forum at 7pm!

If you would like to see a full copy of the AEG Report, you can find this at the following link:
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/ CA256F310024B628 /0/E3FA9C74C4FA6 A22CA25744E00047 19F/$File/Audit+Expert+Group+Report.pdf

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Event - Book launch of Climate Code Red - 17 July

Posted in Events, Movements, Policies, Research by Ferne Edwards on July 3rd, 2008

Book launch: “Climate code red: the case for emergency action” by David Spratt and Philip Sutton (Scribe $27.95)
To be launched by Professor David de Kretser, A.C., Governor of Victoria
THURSDAY 17 JULY
4.30 for 5.00 pm, Queen´s Hall, Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne 3002
All welcome
www.climatecodered.net

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Research & Event - Draft of Garnaut Climate Change Review Public Forum - 9 July

Posted in Events, Models, Policies, Research, Visions by Ferne Edwards on July 2nd, 2008

The Garnaut Climate Change Review will release its Draft Report on Friday 4 July 2008. The Draft Report will outline the impacts of climate change and preliminary policy options for Australia to minimise its environmental and economic impacts.

We invite you to attend one of the five public forums being held around Australia between 7 July and 11 July 2008, to hear about and discuss the findings of the Draft Report. Professor Ross Garnaut will host the forums, providing a half hour
presentation, followed by question time. These forums will provide an opportunity for individuals and organisations to discuss the Draft Report with Professor Garnaut ahead of the completion of the Final Report by 30 September 2008.

Wednesday 9 July,10.00-11.30am, Melbourne Town Hall
Attendance is free of charge but registration is required.
To register visit www.garnautreview.org.au.

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Research - More ‘green collar’ jobs anyone?

Posted in Research, Visions by Ferne Edwards on July 2nd, 2008

Please find an abstract of an article below from the Australian Conservation Foundation. It raises some interesting issues - namely the emergence of a ‘green collar’ workforce. To read the full article visit http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=1797&eid=7505

Action on climate change to create three million new ‘green collar’ jobs
Date: 26-Jun-2008
Australia can take strong action to tackle climate change and create millions of new job opportunities, according to a major report released today. To achieve this win-win, millions of Australian workers will need to be equipped with new, greener job skills. The report, Growing the Green Collar Economy, identifies the employment impact of action to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and examines the skills, training and workforce implications. CSIRO analysis is based on the latest economic modelling and is released by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and the Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF).

Using two different economic models, CSIRO found:

If Australia takes significant action to cut greenhouse gas emissions national employment will still increase by between 2.6 million and 3.3 million over the next two decades.
Jobs in sectors that are currently high carbon emitters, like transport, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and mining are forecast to grow strongly in the next decade.
It will be essential to identify and provide the green skills needed by the 3.25 million workers in industries that currently have ‘high environmental impacts’.

To read the full article visit http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=1797&eid=7505

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Seeking information on transport issues for Port Philip Bay

Posted in Research by Ferne Edwards on July 1st, 2008

Information Needed on Port Philip Bay

I’m seeking information on potential cross-bay travel. This could be regular or occasional:

Commutes to and from work.
Trips for meetings, conferences, consultations, etc.
Tourism related travel.
Travel for family or recreational reasons (eg sport, family reunions, holiday houses, etc).
Trips where an alternative mode (ie ferry/hovercraft) would be preferred.
Light freight movements.

We need to know:

Your starting point (work or home) and your destination point.
Number of travellers and reason for travel.
Existing travel mode and reasons why you would prefer to travel by ferry/hovercraft.

Assume:

Travel cost per person is approximately the same as the prevailing public transport costs.
Regular ferry/hovercraft trips will connect all parts of Port Phillip Bay from 06:30 to 23:00.

Send information to steve @goingsolar.com.au and please advise if you do not want your name published in the report.

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