Linking the knowledge economy, urban intensity and transport in post-industrial cities with a case study of Perth, Western Australia

Cities in post-industrial economies are characterised by a multi-layered intensification of knowledge. This intensification occurs through: • agglomeration of knowledge economic activity; • human capital knowledge; and • the means of knowledge exchange i.e. ICT and transport. This thesis proposes an intensification of key walkable urban centres, particularly universities. Knowledge urban intensification is heavily reliant on rail and walking transport intensification

Social media and live streaming : reaching and engaging fans? : the case of Facebook Live and the Queensland Maroons : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for a PhD in Sport and Exercise at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Social media has profoundly changed the way sport organisations communicate with their fans by encouraging consumers to interact directly with event and player activity. While there has been an abundance of research examining the broad effects of social media on sport organisations, there has been a paucity to date around the usage of live streaming. As such, this research explores the case of one elite sport organisation, the Queensland Maroons, and how live-streaming was incorporated into their Facebook page by using Facebook Live over the entire 2017 and 2018 State of Origin seasons. This study sought to uncover the positioning of the live streaming component within the organisation’s overall social media strategy and how live-streaming may impact fan engagement by using a multi-method approach involving semi-structured interviews with the organisation’s social media managers, a content analysis of related Facebook posts and a thematic analysis of fan responses. The findings revealed that live streaming may be disruptive to a conventional social media strategy, as not all live posts are ‘engaging’ by design. However, live streaming can be an engaging proposition when it provides exclusive content that allows the fan to experience authentic insights into the rituals and traditions of their favourite sport team and athletes in ‘real-time’. Furthermore, live streaming may provide an immersive experience, and encourage fan-to-fan interaction and fan-to-sport organisation interaction, resulting in a sense of community and fan engagement. Three unique management challenges were identified: (1) access to athletes; (2) live-streaming resourcing and (3) understanding and determining ‘engaging’ live streams. Consequently, a conceptual model was formed to assist sport organisations to provide a strategic, structured approach to social media, of which live streaming can be a critical, useful component. It provides seven categories of live videos on a scale of engagement and ways in which fans may respond to these posts to assist sport managers to plan specific content to encourage interaction and fan engagement

An evaluation of the broadband ecosystem in Western Downs region (WDR)

There is a large body of research on broadband adoption and use at the macro and national level, however, there is limited research on rural and remote areas. This research provides an in-depth understanding of the broadband ecosystem in terms of supply (broadband infrastructure), and household demand (adoption and use) of broadband Internet and its impact (building and maintaining social capital) in the Western Downs Region (WDR) of Queensland, Australia. Using the broadband ecosystem as an overarching framework, three phases and a mixed methods approach was used to conduct an in-depth explanatory case study of the WDR. The first research phase collected publicly available archival (primarily quantitative) data and field data from testing of mobile networks to determine and evaluate the status (supply) of broadband infrastructure in the WDR (RQ1). The second research phase collected primarily qualitative information using semi-structured interviews to address research questions (RQ2 and RQ3). The third phase, using a survey, collected quantitative data to validate and test broadband adoption, use and impact components of the broadband ecosystem (RQ2 and RQ3, 13 hypotheses). Thereby, the second and third research phase determined the extent of adoption and use of broadband Internet services by households and its impact in helping to build and maintain social capital in rural communities in the WDR. The research findings show that there are limitations in broadband infrastructure in remote and outer regional locations. In these locations, most households rely on mobile broadband services which were clearly demonstrated to be patchy at best in most areas of the WDR. To a lesser extent in remote and outer regional locations affordability of mobile broadband is also an issue for households given the lower socio-economic status of much of rural Australia including the WDR. Furthermore, data quotas are much more expensive for mobile broadband and satellite broadband in comparison to wired broadband. Hence, there would also appear to be a digital divide, particularly between remote and outer regional locations of the WDR and inner regional and urban locations in Australia. The researcher also demonstrated that this reflects a similar situation in many other remote and outer regional locations in Australia. The findings indicate that most households have moved beyond the adoption phase to the use phase and indicate that hedonic outcomes, self-efficacy and number of years of Internet use are significant determinants of actual use of broadband. Conversely, perceived cost, prior knowledge and experience factors were found to be significant determinants of intention to adopt and use broadband services. However, utilitarian outcomes and purchase complexity had no significant impact on intention to adopt and use. The study also found that broadband Internet use has significant impact for rural communities in the WDR by helping to build and maintain social capital (bonding and bridging). This research has made several important contributions to knowledge, theory and practice. Firstly, this research adapted the Broadband Ecosystem framework to incorporate system quality and impact components of information systems success theory, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Model of Adoption of Technology in Household (MATH) technology adoption theories and two dimensions of social capital theory (bridging and bonding theory) which complement the overarching economic theory of supply and demand in this theoretical and conceptual model. Secondly, this research addressed an important gap in information systems research -the lack of empirical research on digital infrastructure. In this study, broadband infrastructure was included in a comprehensive evaluation of the broadband ecosystem in a rural setting, the WDR. Thirdly, by focusing on two units of analysis broadband infrastructure in a rural region and household adoption, and use and impact of broadband this study addresses important research problems from a societal and government policy perspectives. Fourthly, this research examined and validated the broadband ecosystem framework using mixed methods approach in a rural context. Finally, this research has made significant practical contributions which can inform government policy by identifying that availability, reliability and affordability shortcomings of broadband infrastructure in outer regional and remote regions is impacting household adoption, use and benefits of broadband services in rural Australia. Hence, future government policy needs to ensure that access to reliable and high speed broadband services is part of its Universal Service Obligation so that the current shortcomings in broadband infrastructure in rural Australia are prioritised and addressed. This study confirms that improved access and more effective use of broadband could help to address the digital divide that currently exists between rural and urban Australia and also help to build and maintain social capital in rural communities

Impact of the Acute Surgical Unit on a Local and Global Scale

Introduction Traditionally, general surgical departments allocated their staff to elective operative and outpatient commitments, with emergency general surgical (EGS) patients managed ad-hoc. An acute surgical unit (ASU) model was pioneered in 1996 and spread globally. However, uptake remains slow, in part due to clinical equipoise. This thesis aims to address key gaps in the literature, to support hospitals considering establishing an ASU and EGS policymakers. Methods Locally, three retrospective studies were performed at the Lyell McEwin Health Service. For patients with appendicitis or cholecystitis, these compared cohorts ≤2.5 years pre/post ASU introduction. Primary outcomes were length of stay, time to theatre, after-hours operating rates, rates of cholecystectomy on index admission and rates of appropriate communication and management of incidental pathology (appendicitis patients only). A fourth study prospectively assessed patient reported outcomes within the Royal Adelaide Hospital ASU. Primary outcomes were factors associated with patient satisfaction on multivariate analysis. Nationally, two studies reported the results of a cross-sectional assessment of the general surgery departments in all medium-large sized Australian public hospitals. Primary outcomes were the spectrum of EGS models in use, staff satisfaction and operative exposure. Globally, two systematic reviews were performed. The first identified ASU-type dedicated models of care for emergency patients in urology. The primary outcome was the spectrum of models. The second collated for meta-analysis general surgery studies comparing the Traditional and ASU models. Primary outcomes were length of stay, cost and rates of after-hours operating and complications. Results Locally, single centre retrospective studies of 319–1,214 patients found that establishing an ASU was associated with reduced time to theatre and rates of after-hours operating, and superior rates of cholecystectomy on index admission. Length of stay was reduced for patients with cholecystitis but not appendicitis. For presumed-appendicitis patients with incidental pathology, rates of communication or appropriate management were unchanged. Nationally, the cross-sectional study enrolled 119/120 eligible hospitals. Sixty-four (54%) hospitals reported using an ASU or hybrid EGS model. Compared with the Traditional structure, hybrid or ASU models were associated with greater surgeon and registrar satisfaction. Registrar-perceived operating exposure was unaffected by EGS model. Globally, the first systematic review identified seven centres implementing a variety of dedicated models for emergency urological patients. The second review enrolled 77 publications representing 150,981 unique EGS patients from thirteen nations. Compared with the Traditional model, ASU introduction was associated with reductions in length of stay and rates of after-hours operating and complications. Financial assessments found the ASU to deliver equivalence or cost savings. Conclusion Compared with the Traditional structure, the ASU model delivers superior outcomes. The ASU model should be promoted in health policy to benefit patients, staff and health budgets. Further improvements may involve ASU wards as centres of education and excellence, linked contractual obligation and increased funding for general surgeons to deliver EGS care and greater inter-hospital coordination. Future research includes cost analyses, quality improvement initiatives measured by patient reported outcomes and assessment of ASU model utility in other surgical specialties and in low-income countries.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Adelaide Medical School, 202

An historical perspective on the development of the Mackay district sugarcane Industry

The Mackay district sugarcane industry provides the background for an in-depth analysis of one sugar growing community. I draw on interviews of industry workers from Mia Mia, (an agricultural district - not a township) which forms an industrial community of cane farmers, mill workers, and associated industry representatives. Mia Mia is a small, close-knit agricultural community located 41km inland from Mackay City on the North Queensland coast of Australia. I interviewed forty-two individuals, representing either themselves or their families, who described their life associated with the sugar industry. These individuals came from a range of work backgrounds such as cane farming, accountancy, cane cutting, milling, politics, teaching, and other work experiences, all with a connection to Mia Mia. The thesis explores the social, cultural, economic, political, and technological changes that occurred with the development of the sugar industry in the Mackay district between 1900 and the mid-1990s. My research investigates the extent to which the Mia Mia community benefited from working in the sugarcane industry. It argues that local farmers, millers and sugar industry workers derived significant economic and social benefits. However, it emphasises that the benefits were not without personal hardships. The thesis also explores the role of government, legislation and policy making that supported and protected the sugarcane industry. The methodology used in this thesis is that of prosopography, which is defined as the study of individuals in the context of a broader community. The methodology of prosopography identifies the relationships between people according to their names and roles and establishes their social relationships in terms of groups, ethnic and regional origin, family relationships and careers. This research topic reaches into the wider sugar industry community to interview sugar industry workers who live outside the community boundary of Mia Mia but who have a connection to that community. An analysis of the participant's responses provided unique insights into the many connections between individuals, families, community associations and sugar industry organisations. Those connections provide a glimpse of a way of life that may not exist in the future

Building the evidence base for river drowning prevention

Introduction: Rivers account for a significant proportion of the global burden of drowning. Rivers are the leading location for unintentional fatal drowning in Australia. Through a public health approach, this research provides a framework to develop a detailed understanding (epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for the prevention) of unintentional fatal river drowning in Australia. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used including: a systematic literature review; epidemiological analysis of a 10‐year total population case‐series and review of coronial recommendations; a CATI survey, community surveys, breathalysing and direct observation; and a modified Delphi process to develop prevention strategies. Results: Males (80%), adults (85%), alcohol (41%) and increasing geographical remoteness (very remote 29 times [RR= 28.8] the risk of drowning compared to major city residents) are key risk factors for river drowning. Similar numbers of males and females visit rivers, often for different activities with river visitations more likely in the afternoon, on hot days, weekends and public holidays. Adjusting for exposure, older males (75+ years) had the greatest relative risk (RR= 1.12). Blood alcohol concentrations ≥0.05% were seen among both males and females with alcohol consumption at rivers more prevalent in the afternoon and early evening. Eight percent of river drowning cases generated coronial recommendations. Prevention strategies considered more likely to be effective included: avoiding alcohol; flood‐related early warning systems; child supervision; learning to swim; lifejackets; and community‐wide rescue and resuscitation skills. Discussion: Preventing river drowning presents is a wicked problem, where usage of such locations is encouraged, often accompanied with alcohol consumption and a lack of on‐site rescue services. Enacting legislation and subsequent enforcement are challenging due to mixed use, geographical dispersal and isolation. River drowning attracts an estimated economic burden of $318.70 million dollars per annum. Further investment in the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence‐based drowning prevention interventions is warranted. Strategies such as community wide rescue and resuscitation skills, especially in remote locations, must be considered. Conclusion: This research, the first to specifically explore river drowning in the world, highlights the value of taking a public health approach. By building a broad evidence base of the causal factors increasing river drowning risk, the likelihood of prevention strategies being effective is enhanced. Research findings were used in the development of the 'Respect the River' and 'Don't Let Your Mates Drink and Drown' drowning prevention programs, in partnership with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia, which have contributed to an 18% reduction in river drowning to date

Small sugar farmer agency in the tropics 1872-1914 and the anomalous Herbert River Farmers' Association

One hundred and thirty-six years ago six immigrant small selectors formed the Herbert River Farmers’ Association (HRFA). On the Herbert a plantation mode of sugar production began in 1872. The selectors there, used the HRFA to actively participate in the transition of the tropical Australian sugar industry from plantation to small, family farms by 1914. Associations such as theirs formed the cornerstone of the institutional foundations of a globally unique and successful industry farmed by small, family farmers. Principal exponents of sugar industry organization history have consistently dismissed the small sugar cane farmers’ associations. Broader sugar industry scholarship however, identified them as having contributed to the demise of plantation production and the development of farm-based central milling. This assessment recognized that the HRFA and fellow small associations promoted small farming and that their members proved that white, small sugar farmers could farm in a tropical environment without detriment to their health and could provide a reliable supply of high-quality cane. Agricultural associations in sugar growing regions in the period 1872 to 1914 were dominated by white elite planters, practising an exploitative mode of production that used unfree or indentured coloured labour. Furthermore, land was not distributed equally to planters and small farmers alike, denying the small farmers, white or otherwise, the type of independence that came to characterise Australian white, small, sugar farmers. Land ownership and the freedom to form associations allowed the small selectors of the Herbert River Valley in tropical north Queensland in the late nineteenth century to negotiate with the planters in a way that the tenant farmers and share-croppers in other sugar growing regions could not. Accounts of the origins and nature of the sugar industry agricultural association movement focus exclusively on the planter associations while small sugar farmer associations are virtually invisible in the scholarship. Agricultural associations were vehicles both planters and farmers used to access rural extension, promote agricultural skills and innovation, and lobby with one voice. A top-down approach has made for a void in the understanding and appreciation of the development and role of small sugar industry agricultural associations in Australia. The Australian small sugar farmers’ association was unique in the global sugar industry association movement and the HRFA was the first of its kind in the plantation era in tropical Australia

Computer vision reading on stickers and direct part marking on horticultural products : challenges and possible solutions

Traceability of products from production to the consumer has led to a technological advancement in product identification. There has been development from the use of traditional one-dimensional barcodes (EAN-13, Code 128, etc.) to 2D (two-dimensional) barcodes such as QR (Quick Response) and Data Matrix codes. Over the last two decades there has been an increased use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Direct Part Marking (DPM) using lasers for product identification in agriculture. However, in agriculture there are still considerable challenges to adopting barcodes, RFID and DPM technologies, unlike in industry where these technologies have been very successful. This study was divided into three main objectives. Firstly, determination of the effect of speed, dirt, moisture and bar width on barcode detection was carried out both in the laboratory and a flower producing company, Brandkamp GmbH. This study developed algorithms for automation and detection of Code 128 barcodes under rough production conditions. Secondly, investigations were carried out on the effect of low laser marking energy on barcode size, print growth, colour and contrast on decoding 2D Data Matrix codes printed directly on apples. Three different apple varieties (Golden Delicious, Kanzi and Red Jonaprince) were marked with various levels of energy and different barcode sizes. Image processing using Halcon 11.0.1 (MvTec) was used to evaluate the markings on the apples. Finally, the third objective was to evaluate both algorithms for 1D and 2D barcodes. According to the results, increasing the speed and angle of inclination of the barcode decreased barcode recognition. Also, increasing the dirt on the surface of the barcode resulted in decreasing the successful detection of those barcodes. However, there was 100% detection of the Code 128 barcode at the company’s production speed (0.15 m/s) with the proposed algorithm. Overall, the results from the company showed that the image-based system has a future prospect for automation in horticultural production systems. It overcomes the problem of using laser barcode readers. The results for apples showed that laser energy, barcode size, print growth, type of product, contrast between the markings and the colour of the products, the inertia of the laser system and the days of storage all singularly or in combination with each other influence the readability of laser Data Matrix codes and implementation on apples. There was poor detection of the Data Matrix code on Kanzi and Red Jonaprince due to the poor contrast between the markings on their skins. The proposed algorithm is currently working successfully on Golden Delicious with 100% detection for 10 days using energy 0.108 J mm-2 and a barcode size of 10 × 10 mm2. This shows that there is a future prospect of not only marking barcodes on apples but also on other agricultural products for real time production