The Marginal Values of Lifesavers and Lifeguards to Beach Users in Australia and the United States

We estimate the marginal benefits of increasing lifesavers and lifeguards for beach users in Australia and the United States. Visits, income, education, age, distance from a patrol, and willingness to swim on an unpatrolled beach explain willingness to pay but rivalry does not; snob and bandwagon effects prevail. By comparing benefits with costs, the levels of lifeguards and lifesavers in Australia were found to be underprovided, consistent with shared good theory. Increasing services provides greater net benefits to users but replacing volunteer lifesavers with paid lifeguards may not because volunteering brings broader social benefits.willingness to pay, lifesaving, lifeguarding, rivalry, shared goods

An overview of thriving through transformation

The articles published in this special issue come from the blind peer review and refinement of papers presented to the biennial conference of the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) held at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, New South Wales (NSW), Australia on 19-23 October 2015. All papers jointly contribute to helping transform the human existence toward one that is socially, culturally, environmentally, ecologically, economically and politically sustainable. Transforming our human existence to meet these multiple dimensions of ‘true’ sustainability is a difficult task, balancing potentially competing interests and, inevitably, involving trade-offs between these dimensions

Wire tomography in the H-1NF heliac for investigation of fine structure of magnetic islands

Electron beam wire tomography in the H-1NF heliac enables high resolution mapping of vacuum flux surfaces with minimal disruption of the plasma operations schedule. Recent experimental results have proven this technique to be a highly accurate and high resolution method for mapping vacuum magnetic islands. Islands of width as small as delta approximately 8 mm have been measured, providing estimates of the internal rotational transform of the island. Point-to-point comparison of the mapping results with computer tracing, in conjunction with an image warping technique, enables systematic exploration of magnetic islands and surfaces of interest. Recent development of a fast mapping technique significantly reduced the mapping time and made this technique suitable for mapping at higher magnetic fields. This article presents recent experimental results and associated techniques.with support from the Australian Research Council Grant No. DP0344361

Measurements of electron density and temperature in the H-1 heliac plasma by helium line intensity ratios

Electron density and temperature distributions in the H-1 heliac plasma are measured using the helium line intensity ratio technique based on a collisional-radiative model. An inversion approach with minimum Fisher regularization is developed to reconstruct the ratios of the local emission radiances from detected line-integrated intensities. The electron density and temperature inferred from the He I 667.8/728.1 and He I 728.1/706.5 nm line ratios are in good agreement with those from other diagnostic techniques in the inner region of the plasma. The electron density and temperature values appear to be a little high in the outer region of the plasma. Some possible causes of the discrepancy in the outer region are discussed

Lateral oromandibular defect: When is it appropriate to use a bridging reconstruction plate combined with a soft tissue revascularized flap?

Background A quasi-experimental retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate a new concept of free tissue volume restoration combined with bridging reconstruction plate (compartment approach) to reduce plate-related complication rates. Methods We evaluated 40 patients with large lateral mandible defects and associated complex soft tissue defects reconstructed with a revascularized soft tissue flap and titanium hollow screw reconstruction plates. A case-control comparison was performed based on reconstruction type: restoration of soft tissue defect (conventional approach—group 1) versus over-reconstruction of soft tissue defect (compartment approach—group 2). Results Plate exposure rate was 6 of 16 (38%) in group 1 versus 2 of 24 (8%) in group 2, and the difference was statistically significant ( p = .04). The mean time to exposure was 10 months. Plate fracture rate was 6 of 23 (26.1%) in dentulous patients versus 1 of 17 (5.9%) in edentulous patients. Gastrostomy tube dependence was 6 of 16 (38%) in group 1 versus 6 of 24 (25%) in group 2. Conclusion The “compartment approach” reduces plate exposure rate and gastrostomy tube dependence. Revascularized osseocutaneous reconstruction is still required in dentulous patients. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58646/1/20776_ftp.pd

Mine Lifecycle Planning and Enduring Value for Remote communities

Mine lifecycle planning is critical to developing enduring value from mining for remote communities. The history of mining is replete with examples of communities being unsustainable post mine closure. The concept of enduring value involves ensuring that a sustainable community will remain following the closure of an associated mine. Since 2003, awareness has increased amongst the International and Australian peak mining bodies for the need to plan for enduring community value. This increased awareness has developed alongside the requirement for mining companies to operate in a socially responsible manner by maintaining a social license to operate. This paper thematically reviews the literature relevant to mine life cycle planning, enduring value, the socio-economic impacts of mining, and mine closure. Conditions required for a community to gain enduring value from mining include: ‘normalisation’ rather than being a ‘closed’ town; the existence of government support and funding; and realised economic diversification opportunities. It is imperative that these conditions are given due consideration 1) in the initial stages of mine and town planning and 2) throughout the life of the mine through ongoing monitoring and community engagement. However, we acknowledge the shortcomings in assuming planning is a panacea and suggest areas for further testing

An Overview of Legal Instruments and Other Measures to Aid in the Protection and Valuation of Indigenous Knowledge

This paper outlines the legal instruments and other measures used to support the protection of Indigenous Knowledge (IK), with a view to attributing market value to IK. These instruments are categorised as either enforceable instruments or voluntary protocols, standards and guides. Enforceable instruments have a clear connection to market value, typically being tradeable with a cost incurred to protect their attributable IK. While legal costs, patent prices and licence fees are private, it may be possible to gain access to summarised and de-identified data. Non-enforceable rights such as protocols, codes of conduct and certification may involve compensation or payments designed to protect IK. Price premiums may help to capture the market value of attributable IK, but require careful methodological consideration. A diverse range of instruments helps to provide choice to Indigenous Peoples and creates a system that may support the development of social and market norms that encourage the recognition and protection of IK

Core magnetic islands and plasma confinement in the H-1NF heliac

Plasma confinement in the vicinity of vacuum magnetic islands near the magnetic axis in the H-1NF heliac [S. M. Hamberger et al., Fusion Technol.17, 123 (1990)] has been experimentally studied in a low temperature argon plasma. Experimental results indicate that, under favorable conditions, these low order (m=2)islands near the core of the plasma serve as “pockets” of higher electron density. This results in significant profile modifications including enhancement of the core radial electric field to a large positive value, possibly through an electron-root ambipolar condition. The characteristics of islands are found to be dependent on the plasma collisionality and island width.This research was supported in part by the Australian Research Council Grant No. DP0344361 and the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05- 00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC

Accounting problems in the valuation of infrastructure assets in New South Wales local government

Local government authorities in NSW manage a significant pool of infrastructure assets in order to serve community needs. These assets usually comprise roads, bridges, the water and sewerage network, stormwater drainage, buildings, and other infrastructure. Infrastructure assets represent a major proportion of the total asset base of every NSW council. All local councils in NSW are required to measure their infrastructure assets at fair value and revalue them every five years. However, there are many problems with the valuation of infrastructure assets in local government. Problems arise mostly as a consequence of the unique characteristics of public sector infrastructure assets; in particular, the assets have long and sometimes uncertain lives, there is no market into which they can be sold and - unlike commercial assets - local government urban infrastructure is not operated to make a profit. This makes the valuation and revaluation of these assets for financial reporting purposes a technically complicated exercise. The aim of this study is to (a) investigate whether NSW local government councils comply with the Australian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in performing the revaluation of their infrastructure assets and (b) to assess any consequences for the reliability of financial reporting in NSW local government. Using road assets as an example, we analyse the results of revaluations of road assets undertaken by 89 NSW councils as reported in their financial statements during the period from 2013 to 2016. In this analysis we focused on the effect of a change in accumulated depreciation as a percentage of the gross replacement cost of the revalued assets. The analysis revealed that in most cases this effect is significant: 36 councils reported a decrease of between 10% and 53%; 5 councils reported increases of between 10% and 31%; and others fell within a 10% range. In absolute terms, these are substantial changes. However, the accounting and reporting of this effect is strikingly inconsistent between the councils. This forms the rationale for this thesis. Based on the analysis of revaluation of roads, the study finds that the main reason for these significant changes arises from the change in the estimates of the remaining useful life of the assets at the time of revaluation. It is most unlikely that asset condition can have such a significant effect on many councils all at the same time. Furthermore, we concluded that the changes in estimates of the remaining useful life is the result of non-compliance with the requirements of AASB 116 to have the useful life reassessed at the end of each reporting period (i.e. each year). Instead, councils wait five years and undertake the next reassessment of the useful life at the time of the comprehensive revaluation. This leads us to a conclusion that, if material, the effect should be treated as an error based on the requirements of AASB 108. If councils did follow requirements of AASB 116 by assessing the useful life at the end of each year, then the effects would be unlikely to be material at the time of the comprehensive revaluation. Only 12 councils out of 89 reported this effect as an error. However, even these did not fully comply with the requirements of AASB 108 in presenting the effects of the error in the financial statements. All other councils did not report or disclose anything about this effect in their revaluation adjustment, regardless of the significance of that effect. There are two main conclusions of the thesis. First, most councils did not comply with the Australian GAAP in accounting, reporting and disclosing the effects of their asset revaluations. Second, there is a high risk that depreciation expense, operational results and financial ratios were materially incorrect in the years preceding each comprehensive revaluation. The latter makes the financial reporting in NSW local government unreliable for decision-making purposes for the users of financial reports. Our study has examined only roads assets in detail. If similar deficiencies in procedures were to exist in the treatment of other local government assets, then summed over all assets, the unreliability of the financial reports could be significantly greater