BIRRR Regional Internet Access Survey Results, 2016

Better Internet for Rural Regional and Remote Australians (BIRRR) began as a Facebook group (administered by volunteers) in 2014 whose aim was to provide information and support on telecommunications services to those living in rural, remote and regional areas. The BIRRR Regional Internet Access Survey aimed to establish the state of the internet for people in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia, by collecting information about internet use in rural, regional, and remote Australia. The data will be used to work with stakeholders to improve bush broadband. The survey was distributed to approximately 6000 members of the BIRRR membership base. The survey found that rural, regional and remote people are severely disadvantaged in terms of access, speeds, cost and reliability of their internet connections, whether they be via mobile broadband or via satellite. This has a dramatic effect on rural, regional and remote people's business, the education of their children and themselves and on their personal well-being. There needs to be an established service guarantee for internet services Australia wide - equitable in terms of speed, download capabilities and costs. If this does not occur, regional Australia will be left behind

Proceedings of the BEST EN Think Tank XVII: innovation and progress in sustainable tourism

BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism in order to move research and education in this specific field forward. We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XVII entitled Innovation and Progress in Sustainable Tourism. The event was held in Mauritius, June 14-17, 2017, in conjunction with the International Center for Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality, University of Mauritius. The term 'sustainable tourism' emerged in the early 1980s building on earlier concerns about the negative impacts of tourism and linking tourism to the wider sustainability movement. Despite 30 years of discussion of tourism and sustainability in academic and government documents, recent reviews suggest that there is considerable room for improvement in the practice of sustainable tourism. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, conducted on various aspects of innovation and progress in sustainable tourism. They include abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process. Twenty-eight research papers were presented at the conference. Presentations were held within the following themed sessions: • Assessing Progress, Contributions & Teaching and Learning • Innovation – Sustainable, Experiential, Product and Marketing • Tourism Impacts, Sustainable Tourism Education, Interpretation • Theoretical and Methodological Approaches for Researching Sustainable Tourism The contributions were thematically selected for each group and are arranged in order of presentation in the proceedings. The full proceedings as well as the PowerPoint presentations are available on the BEST EN website www.besteducationnetwork.org/ The Editor and the BEST EN Executive Committee anticipate that readers of this volume will find the papers informative, thought provoking and of value to their research

BIRRR Landline and Connectivity Survey 2018 Report

Better Internet for Rural Regional and Remote Australians (BIRRR) began as a Facebook group (administered by volunteers) in 2014 with the aim of providing information and support for telecommunications services to people living and working in rural, remote and regional areas. The BIRRR Landline & Connectivity Survey 2018 aimed to establish the type and state of voice communication services in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia, by collecting information about user experience and technology types. The data will be used to work with the Government, telecommunication stakeholders and other relevant advocacy groups to improve and maintain voices services in rural, regional and remote(RRR) areas. Due to the nature of their geography RRR consumers are extremely reliant on reliable voice communication services. This also heightens the need for Government policy such as the Universal Service Obligation to protect essential voice services. A landline voice service is imperative for safety and connectivity, especially in areas where there is no mobile coverage and unreliable broadband services. The survey found that rural, regional and remote people primarily use a traditional landline for their main voice communication. Furthermore, these traditional landlines are essential tools for communicating in regional areas, as almost half of the respondents have no mobile coverage in their residence. The survey results highlighted that respondents often have issues with fault rectification and getting problems resolved in regard to their voice services. Over 40% of respondents reported that their main voice service stops working more than three times per year. Highlighted in the survey are thousands of comments stating why placing all communication services in one basket such as nbnTM Sky Muster could lead to disastrous consequences for regional Australians. The Government must not consider rural, regional and remote (RRR) mobile connectivity as a replacement for a Universal Service Obligation (USO) landline, until this connectivity at least meets the same service guarantees as existing arrangements. The new Universal Service Guarantee (USG) should continue to ensure that ALL Australian consumers and businesses have baseline voice services that are at least equivalent to the standard offered under the existing USO. Standard telephone services must be maintained until such a time that baseline service needs are exceeded using alternate Broadband technology. All existing landline options must be covered under the USG (even those that are currently not included). There should be no degradation in the current voice service that users receive. The USO should be technology neutral and updatable to ensure ongoing needs are met. Every Australian, irrespective of where they live or work, should be confident they can access quality, reliable, accessible & affordable voice and broadband services with customer support guarantees. Serious commitment is needed to ensure that RRR areas are not disadvantaged due to their population and postcode

Proceedings of the BEST EN Think Tank XVI: Corporate Responsibility in Tourism: standards practices and policies

BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism in order to move research and education in this specific field forward. We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XVI entitled Corporate Responsibility in Tourism – Standards Practices and Policies. The event was held in Berlin-Eberswalde, July 12-15, 2016, in conjunction with the ZENAT Centre for Sustainable Tourism, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, considered one of Germany's greenest universities. The concept of corporate responsibility in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of standards, practices and policies. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, conducted on various aspects of corporate responsibility in tourism. They include abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process

BIRRR Sky Muster Survey Results 2017

Better Internet for Rural Regional and Remote Australians (BIRRR) began as a Facebook group (administered by volunteers) in 2014 whose aim was to provide information and support on telecommunications services to those living in rural, remote and regional areas. The BIRRR Regional Internet Access Survey aimed to establish the state of the internet for people in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia, by collecting information about internet use in rural, regional, and remote Australia. The data will be used to work with stakeholders to improve bush broadband. The survey was distributed to approximately 6000 members of the BIRRR membership base. The survey found that rural, regional and remote people are severely disadvantaged in terms of access, speeds, cost and reliability of their internet connections, whether they be via mobile broadband or via satellite. This has a dramatic effect on rural, regional and remote people's business, the education of their children and themselves and on their personal well-being. There needs to be an established service guarantee for internet services Australia wide - equitable in terms of speed, download capabilities and costs. If this does not occur, regional Australia will be left behind

BIRRR Regional Internet Access Survey Results, 2016

Better Internet for Rural Regional and Remote Australians (BIRRR) began as a Facebook group (administered by volunteers) in 2014 whose aim was to provide information and support on telecommunications services to those living in rural, remote and regional areas. The BIRRR Regional Internet Access Survey aimed to establish the state of the internet for people in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia, by collecting information about internet use in rural, regional, and remote Australia. The data will be used to work with stakeholders to improve bush broadband. The survey was distributed to approximately 6000 members of the BIRRR membership base. The survey found that rural, regional and remote people are severely disadvantaged in terms of access, speeds, cost and reliability of their internet connections, whether they be via mobile broadband or via satellite. This has a dramatic effect on rural, regional and remote people's business, the education of their children and themselves and on their personal well-being. There needs to be an established service guarantee for internet services Australia wide - equitable in terms of speed, download capabilities and costs. If this does not occur, regional Australia will be left behind

BESTEN Think Tank XV: the Environment-People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: finding the balance

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XV entitled The Environment People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: Finding the Balance. The event was held in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, June17-21, 2015, in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences; Division of Tourism Management; University of Pretoria, South Africa. BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism and push the research and education in this specific field forward. The concept of sustainability in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. The location of the 2015 BEST EN Think Tank, Kruger National Park, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges of managing the relationships between people and places that are, or may become, subject to tourism development, including balancing social and economic needs with environmental considerations. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, who research various aspects of the conference theme. They include the abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process

BESTEN Think Tank XV: the Environment-People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: finding the balance

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XV entitled The Environment People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: Finding the Balance. The event was held in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, June17-21, 2015, in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences; Division of Tourism Management; University of Pretoria, South Africa. BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism and push the research and education in this specific field forward. The concept of sustainability in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. The location of the 2015 BEST EN Think Tank, Kruger National Park, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges of managing the relationships between people and places that are, or may become, subject to tourism development, including balancing social and economic needs with environmental considerations. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, who research various aspects of the conference theme. They include the abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process

Land managers decision making about water quality: views from extension officers of the Wet Tropics, Queensland, Australia

This report delivers results from the second round of data collection via an abridged survey based on the first round data collection, the land manager survey, which was originally delivered in the Wet Tropics region in 2016. The abridged survey was delivered in 2017 as second round data collection, at the request of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) agency, to extension officers and to land managers in the Wet Tropics region of Queensland, Australia (See Section 2.1). Due to the small sample size the analysis is primarily descriptive and compares responses from extension officers in 2017 to responses from land managers in 2016. The 2017 second round land manager survey data was not used as it incorrectly reports on irrigation practices, which are not used in the wet tropics, and not on nutrient or drain management practices. The report also provides recommendations for key stakeholders regarding possible actions that should be considered in future interactions between extension officers and land managers in the Wet Tropics and other cane growing regions. The final version of the abridged questionnaire is included as Appendix 1. The extension officers involved in the survey were from six of the nine river catchment areas of the Wet Tropics cane growing region (see Section 3.1.1). The experience of extension officers vary from 1-3 years to 35+ years in the industry. Insights from the analysis follow, along with a brief recommendation, which outlines strategies that can be used to fine-tune existing landholder interactions. Further explanation of the recommendations can be found in Section 8.0. Decision Making Influencers The data identifies that extension officers may be underestimating the importance of land manager decision influencers (e.g. protecting the Great Barrier Reef, family and servicing debt., see Section 6.2), which may lead to distrust or lack of respect for the extension officer. Misunderstanding the importance of decision influencers may change the way messages are sent and received, which can significantly affect the way that messages about water quality are processed and how they influence behaviour change. Recommendation: Use social network analysis to identify information gatekeepers and opinion leaders. Grants and Funding How extension officers perceive success and or failure in grant applications may present barriers or enablers for land managers who apply for grants or funding. If the land manager via the extension officer perceives a threat of not receiving a grant, then the land manager may not take the time to apply for any grants that are available and if they do apply, their application may be inhibited by the extension officers perceived rate of success i.e. they may not put as much effort into the grant application if they perceive it will not be successful. Recommendation: • Recognise the key role of extension officers and determine what professional development support might be beneficial in continuing to build trust and engagement with land managers. Workshops, Training Programs and Other Activities Extension officers responded that land managers sought information about workshops, training programs and other activities from their industry extension networks, industry bodies and friends and personal networks. At the time of the survey, the workshops, training and activities were important to improving land and soil management practices to raise awareness of water quality issues as well as accreditation and networking. Extension officers thought that land managers found all workshops useful, but in particular Six Easy Steps, soil health workshops and SRA Masterclasses were identified as most valuable. Extension officers indicated that holding workshops, training and other activities outside of the harvest season, targeting skills deficiency and better coordinated systems would make the activities work better for land managers. Extension officers responded that nutrient management, soil chemistry, more involvement with extension officers and strategic coordinated extension programs with assistance from the DEHP would help in future to assist land managers to make farm improvements. Recommendations: • Recognise land manager diversity but use typology principles to develop material and communication approaches to support extension officers • Build on the role of farmers whose views are respected as potential information gatekeepers/disseminators /role models. Nutrient Management Practices There are some disparities between extension officers and land managers thoughts on how land managers make decisions about nutrient management practices. When calculating fertilizer application rates, land managers rated tailoring their own fertilizer rates higher than using industry standards, while extension officers rated that they thought land managers used rated using industry standards higher than tailoring their own fertilizer rates. Both land managers and extension officers identified that land managers also use their advisors to calculate fertilizer application rates. This finding indicates with some confidence that land managers are calculating fertilizer rates using industry standards. However, extension officer’s anecdotal comments indicate that land managers may think they are using the industry standard (Six Easy Steps) but are incorrectly applying the standard and therefore may not be meeting the industry standard. This may be because land managers in addition to using best management practice are also calculating fertilizer rates based on experience, alternative methods, based on soil tests and by seeking advice from local private agronomists. The majority of farmers are using these tools to calculate fertilizer rates because their peers are also using these tools. Run-Off Management Practices In most cases extension officers indicated that land managers in the wet tropics do not capture run-off from their farms. However, when land managers do capture runoff, extension officers responded that they use grass headlands, drain systems, laser leveling and sediment traps or recycle pits. In 2016, 42% of land managers selected that they had recycle pits/sediment traps to manage run-off, whereas in this 2017 survey, only 15.8% of extension officers selected that land managers use sediment traps. Extension officers support this with anecdotal comments that there is a limited use of sediment traps in the Wet Tropics Region (see Table 25). Land managers are influenced by other farmers when using the systems that they choose to handle runoff. Extension officers are not sure if land managers in the Wet Tropics can afford to use the practices available for handling runoff, but were confident that they had the technical knowledge to handle run-off. Extension officers and land managers nominated industry extension advisors as people whose advice land mangers most frequently follow when handling run-off. The least important advisors for capturing run-off identified by extension officers were regional cane associations and Landcare. Other Innovative Practices Extension officers have identified that land managers are using other innovative practices including bed renovators, contour planting, experiments with flocculants (a particle clumping substance), grassed headlands and riparian vegetation, wet land bioreactors (a natural water purification process), sediment traps, minimum tillage, wetlands, spoon drains, subsurface fertilizer application, headland management, correct drainage, trash blanketing and spraying out and covering fallowed fields. One extension officer stated that “the innovation is about minimising the amount of sediment, DIN and chemicals, which is about placement, timing, farming systems; there are plans to intercept groundwater DIN using filters” as a solution to reducing runoff. Perceptions of Causes and Pressure on Water Quality Extension officers agreed (84.2%) that nutrient losses from cane growing are having an effect on the water quality of local streams, rivers and waterways and land managers (42%) disagreed, responding that cane growing has no effect on the water quality of local streams, rivers and waterways. By Contrast, while 30% of land managers believe that their activities are negatively affecting water quality, none of the extension officers believe that land managers take this view. About 13% of land managers were unsure and 15% took a neutral stance about nutrient losses affecting water quality and a small percent of extension officers nominated that they didn’t know if cane farming has an impact on water quality. Recommendations: • Ensure all communication, by whatever means, sends consistent messages irrespective of source, and channelling communication through trusted sources. Monitor media coverage and respond to inaccurate messages and develop proactive media relationships. • Review communication strategies, adding social media where appropriate. Need to recognise the overall diversity of information sources and preferences. • Proactive plans should be developed for combating or at least minimising the effects of competing and conflicting messages including negative media coverage (see Eagle et al., 2016, Section 2.7). We have reviewed media coverage of the Great Barrier Reef during 2016 (excluding tourism-related coverage). The findings indicate that the media presents a sensationalised and, at times, hostile perspective on reef-related issues (Eagle, Hay, & Low, 2018), although there is evidence that this is improving in the 2017 media analysis that is under way. A more detailed analysis is contained in the following sections of this report

Impact of integrated sustainability content into undergraduate business education

Purpose: This paper aims to compare the findings from a survey of a cohort of students at an Australian regional university across two time points: immediately on commencing their first semester of study and at the end of their final semester of study to determine whether, and in what ways, these students’ views concerning sustainability appear to have changed. This paper reports on a longitudinal study of the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of undergraduate business students regarding a range of sustainability issues. Design/methodology/approach: A paper-based questionnaire was delivered to approximately 250 first year and 150 third year students. Findings: A factor analysis shows small but statistically different positive differences, which indicate that the revised curriculum has been successful in raising student awareness and achieving behaviour change. Research limitations/implications: The study focussed on Australian undergraduate university business students, which reduced generalizability of the findings. Practical implications: The findings of this study can inform instructors in higher education of student attitudes towards sustainability and climate change adaption and in turn inform changes to tertiary curriculum in sustainability and climate change adaption. Originality/value: The authors confirm that the research is original and that all of the data provided in this paper is real and authentic. As the paper reports on the third phase of the longitudinal study, some parts of the methodology have been previously published but differ as they reflect the third phase of the study. The results of this study have not been previously published