International Open Access Week

Open Access Week presentation delivered at Charles Darwin University, 24th October, 2017

Adventures in Open Access : \u27Open in order to...\u27

Open Access Week presentation delivered at Charles Darwin University, 24th October, 2017

Slavery in the supply : should Australia pass legislation that compels corporations to disclose the actions they have taken to eradicate the presence of Modern Slavery in their Supply Chains?

Globalisation has created a complex network of markets, in which multi-national corporations are able to position parts of their supply chain in poorly regulated developing nations while yielding high profits in more restrictive legal regimes at home. These corporations are often at the root of social issues such as global warming, corruption and human rights abuses; yet unlike nation states, there is no international legal framework to temper their power or sanction transgressions. Domestic legislation is inadequate when it does not capture the activities of businesses outside their domicile country - and this is even more apparent when visibility of those activities is lost along complex international supply chains. Reliance is placed on business to self-regulate by implementing internal ‘soft law’ policies that uphold social responsibility norms, and many have seen the value in doing so – particularly due to increased consumer interest in the providence of goods and social media’s ability to define a company’s reputation. Despite the efforts that have been made, human trafficking, forced labour and slavery (interchangeably referred to here as modern slavery) continue to plague the supply chains through which multi-national corporations are deriving enormous profits.This paper will argue that consistent with similar jurisdictions, it is now necessary to implement legislation that bridges the regulatory gap and compels corporations to disclose the actions they are taking to eradicate modern slavery from their supply chains. Legislation of this kind will rightly impose responsibility for investigating supply chains upon the multinational corporations themselves, and provide transparency of those investigative actions (or lack thereof) for consumers, investors and government alike. This paper does not propose that companies be made to incriminate themselves - rather that they disclose the actions taken to eradicate modern slavery from their supply chain – effectively prompting investigation of the supply chain to actually occur (where previously no prompt existed).The matter will be approached in four parts. Part one will review the extent of the modern slavery crisis, and particularly how Australian corporations and consumers contribute to the issue through procurement of goods produced in situations of human trafficking, forced labour and slavery. The definitions of, and distinctions between these terms will be explored in part two; where the existing legal framework will be explained and an example of modern slavery provided. This section will also point out how international and domestic law applies (or does not apply) to corporations, and survey the regulatory gap that currently exists. A comparative analysis will be conducted in part three, critically examining the approaches of various jurisdictions that have implemented supply chain transparency measures. Finally, suggestions for reform will be made and parallels drawn to the reviewed jurisdictions to determine the appropriateness of each model for the Australian context. Ultimately, a conclusion will be reached that Australia should pass a progressive model of legislation that compels corporations to disclose the actions they have taken to eliminate modern slavery from their supply chains

Open Access journals : perspective from a former Editor-in-Chief Professor Marilynne N. Kirshbaum

Nursing Reports is an open access, peer-reviewed, online-only journal that aims to influence the art and science of nursing by making rigorously conducted research accessible and understood to the full spectrum of practicing nurses, academics, educators and interested members of the public. The journal represents an exhilarating opportunity to make a unique and significant contribution to nursing and the wider community by addressing topics, theories and issues that concern the whole field of Nursing Science, including research, practice, policy and education. The primary intent of the journal is to present scientifically sound and influential empirical and theoretical studies, critical reviews and open debates to the global community of nurses. Short reports, opinions and insight into the plight of nurses the world-over will provide a voice for those of all cultures, governments and perspectives

Engaging with the "Open" Agenda

Open Access Week presentation delivered at Charles Darwin University, 27th October, 2016

Waterplant Guide: A guide to help ranger groups with the \u27Waterplants\u27 section of the I-Tracker Cape York Rapid Wetland Assessment<br />

The I-Tracker Cape York Rapid Wetland Assessment was designed to assist Indigenous land and sea managers to monitor the ecological condition of freshwater habitats on their country by undertaking regular wetland assessments.The rapid assessment method is based largely on an existing method, the Cape York Freshwater Wetland Assessment developed by the Cape York Marine Advisory Group Environmental Inc. (CYMAG) in 2009. The CYMAG method is an in-depth process that provides detailed data on wetland condition. The I-Tracker rapid assessment provides a method for groups to independently carry out a robust, scientific wetland assessment within a few hours using digital data collection tools and an accompanying scoring system modelled on the CYMAG method.This booklet will help you complete the Waterplants section of the I-Tracker Cape York Rapid Wetland Assessment. The assessment asks you to count the different types of waterplants (also known as macrophytes) at the wetland you are assessing. You don&rsquo;t have to know all the names of all the species, just recognise the different plants. The waterplants are divided into four different groups, based on how they grow. These groupings also give you an idea of the habitat they are creating underwater

Understanding tsunami warning systems

The eastern Australian coastline faces some 8000km of active tectonic plate boundary that is capable of generating a tsunami thatcould reach Australia in two to four hours. This makes it imperative that coastal communities understand and can respond effectively to the Australian Tsunami Warning System. Activation of this warning system could result in warning times ranging from 90 minutes to three hours. Warning times of these durations could leave insufficient time for people to implement their emergency plan (e.g., to prepare their property, plan an evacuation etc.) on receipt of a warning. This project is researching key aspects of community response capability

Improving the efficiency of biodiversity investment - Final Report<br />

The overarching aim of this project was to provide information that would help improve the efficiency of biodiversity investments in northern Australia. We collected social and financial data from land managers across northern Australia, combined it with publically available biophysical data and analysed it using several different techniques. Controlling for a range of factors (e.g. size of property, rainfall), we found little evidence of a trade-off between biodiversity and agriculture, suggesting that conservation need not occur at the expense of agriculture in this region. We have also established that there are significant co-benefits (to agriculture) from programs that mitigate threats to biodiversity by controlling weeds. These programs represent more efficient investments than those which do not generate co-benefits. Our analysis also indicated that programs which promote on-farm diversification, improve land management practices and/or promote conservation-friendly attitudes could generate improvements in biodiversity without imposing costs on the agricultural industry, and that those who seek to promote biodiversity using financial rewards or penalties could increase the effectiveness of their programs by also using social rewards and penalties

Savanna Fire Management Project: 2014-15 Annual Report to the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre

The &lsquo;savanna fire management and BNH scenario planning for northern Australia&rsquo; project is part of a larger suite of BNH CRC &lsquo;northern hub&rsquo; projects being undertaken through Charles Darwin University. Collectively, these projects aim to promote enhanced understanding of the special circumstances concerning resilience issues in remote Indigenous communities, and identify culturally appropriate governance arrangements and enterprise opportunities that can contribute to enhancing community development and resilience.We report here on the past year&rsquo;s activities undertaken through two of the three sub-projects. The third sub-project &lsquo;management of high biomass weeds&rsquo; will commence activities in July 2015. The &lsquo;Gulf fire management&rsquo;, project, now more appropriately replacing the &lsquo;spinifex and mulga landscapes&rsquo; project, commenced in January 2015, building on the substantial effort made by Indigenous ranger groups, it will assist to develop culturally appropriate landscape fire management programs that will also offer economic opportunities through existing and future market-based savanna burning greenhouse emissions abatement, carbon sequestration and other Payment for Ecosystem Services markets. Although in its infancy, to date this project has:1. Appointed a CRC funded PhD student, Kate van Wezel, to assist develop the capacity and engagement of women rangers in a project entitled &ldquo;Towards culturally appropriate fire management in the Waanyi and Garawa lands: impediments, opportunities, and key challenges.2. Undertaken a week long field trip to this very remote region and visited the Indigenous communities of Borroloola and Robinson River, to familiarize staff with the region and to discuss the proposed research program with key local community members.The &lsquo;savanna burning&rsquo; project commenced late in 2013. It builds upon satellite derived modeling of fire severity mapping, these data, combined with fire history mapping have been applied to assess the risk of fire to biodiversity, emissions and ecosystem services in general. In the past year this sub-project has:1. developed and refined the fire severity mapping algorithm;2. developed finer scale analyses of the fire mapping and ancillary spatial data for two remote indigenous regions around Kunbalanja and Ngukurr;3. undertaken informal workshops with indigenous ranger groups to ascertain the use and utility of the mapping products, and;4. co-edited a substantial book outlining the north Australian 600 to 1,000 mm mean seasonal rainfall region methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions abatement and the potential for carbon sequestration from trees and coarse woody debris.To date the projects and their sub-components are being managed correctly, with all milestones completed