Marine survey : Pitch Bay, South Trees, Port Curtis

The Central Queensland University Centre for Environmental Management, based at the Gladstone Campus was commissioned by Boyne Smelters Ltd ( BSL) to undertake an assessment program for the proposed expansion of the hard stand area adjacent to the comalco wharf. This occurred in November and December 1996 and is reported here

Port Curtis macrobenthic monitoring and research 1995-1997 [electronic resource]

The Gladstone Port Authority in 1995 invited Central Queensland University (CQU), through its developing Centre for Environmental Management (CEM), to instigate long term marine environmental programs for Port Curtis involving initially benthos and later seagrass and mangroves under the direction of Senior Research Fellow/Senior Lecturer, Dr Michael Walker. The macrobenthic program is the cornerstone of marine environmental research and monitoring undertaken by the CQU Centre for Environmental Management. The macrobenthic program in terms of design and implementation follows the program developed by GPA and WBM in 1993. This program has been reported previously (Walker and McNamara, 1997). This report documents the results of this macrobenthic program to the ceasation of November sampling 28 November 1997 and past sample processing to 18 February 1998

Mangrove and seagrass monitoring at the mouth of the Calliope River : report for February 1996 and monitoring program proposals 1996-1997

This report documents a further sampling of mangrove and seagrass communities undertaken by CQU in November/December 1995. It also outlines the strategy and details of a longer term research and monitoring program proposed by CQU for the Targinie landfill area

Indigenous women’s wellness: what makes us stronger?

The term “Social and Emotional Wellbeing” (SEWB) was developed to address Indigenous holistic connections to state of wellbeing and opposes constructs around “mental health” such as a diagnosis, disease or illness. This study’s aim was to explore what Indigenous Women’s Wellbeing is broadly and what Social and Emotional Wellbeing is, through Indigenous perceptions, beliefs and knowledge of Indigenous Women’s Wellbeing experiences within North Brisbane. Data was derived from semi-structured focus group incorporating Indigenous specific Yarning, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have experienced or were at risk of developing Social and Emotional Wellness problems came together. The women identified many factors underpinning Wellbeing and Social and Emotional Wellness and what it means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women. The major themes centred around wellness and health, autonomy, Indigenous women being heard, historical factors, support and Indigenous women’s group development and continuation

Improving Indigenous women’s wellness through action research

Today in Australia, 75% of all Indigenous Australians reside in urban and peri-urban areas. In Brisbane, Indigenous Australians now number just over 45,000, and this number is rapidly increasing. Undertaking research with urban based Indigenous Australians is a relatively new phenomenon. Most past research with Indigenous people has been carried out in remote and regional areas. This paper focuses on a Participation Action Research project undertaken with Indigenous women in the highly urbanised area of North Brisbane. The project takes on the challenge of undertaking urban based Indigenous research. It opts not to centre on poor Indigenous women’s health statistics but instead centres on Indigenous women’s wellness and ways to talk about and work towards wellness. Through the cycles of dialogue with Indigenous women these concepts were teased out and manifested in two highly successful Women’s Wellness Summits. This paper will outline aspects of this project

Understanding Indigenous women’s social and emotional wellbeing and wellness : program development in conjunction with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

The term “Social and Emotional Wellbeing” (SEWB) was coined through the noted inability of conventional psychiatric terminology when addressing Indigenous holistic connections and opposes the mainstream terminology that often boxes “mental health” as a diagnosis, disease or illness into separate origins from that of other personal holistic Indigenous existence, which in turn directly objects to Indigenous thinking and perceptions of wellbeing. In an attempt to capture the broader and more holistic ways of Indigenous thinking and interpretations around Indigenous mental health, Indigenous Australian Brisbane North women’s perceptions of wellbeing and wellness were explored through the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women whom had experienced or were at risk of developing SEWB problems. This Indigenous mental health nurse led research highlighted the inherent differences intertwined within the essence of Indigenous women’s SEWB perceptions, beliefs and knowledge’s. Including the interconnectiveness that centres around not only ones physical wellness but the inherent connections embedded within the land, environment, community, and law/lore underpinning the fabric of a women’s life, relationships and wellbeing and intern directly attributing to their mental health and wellness. Data was derived from semi-structured narrative focus groups and included the incorporation of Indigenous specific “Yarning approaches”. The major themes centred around wellness and wellbeing, autonomy, Indigenous women being heard, historical factors of discrimination and racism, support, and the development of an Indigenous Women’s Wellness program including the SEWB benefits of this while encompassing a mental health centred Indigenous women’s specific program development focus, that is effective, inviting and community centred

Port Curtis Macrobenthos 1995-1996 [electronic resource]

Long term marine environmental monitoring programs commenced in 1995, in Port Curtis, Gladstone with the initiative and financial support of the Gladstone Port Authority (GPA), and Gladstone Industry. These programs involve benthos, seagrasses and mangroves and are being undertaken by the Centre for Environmental Management, Faculty of Applied Science, Central Queensland University (CQU), from its Gladstone Campus under the direction of Dr Michael Walker

Understanding Indigenous Australian women’s social and emotional wellbeing and wellness through yarning : the Indigenous Women's Wellness Program

The paper explores Indigenous Australian women’s understanding of wellness, through the lens of social and emotional wellbeing. The authors use a “yarning” approach to explore how wellness is important to Indigenous women who live in North Brisbane (Australia). They discuss the benefits of yarning and its strength as a methodology for conducting research and building activism within Indigenous Australian communities. They argue that, for Indigenous Australian women, wellness is linked to a sense of wholeness and strongly related to the feeling of connection that women get from meeting together and having time for Women’s Business. They describe the way that their research project developed into a community summit focused on Indigenous women’s wellness

“Yarning” as a method for community-based health research with indigenous women : the Indigenous Women's Wellness Research Program

This project explores yarning as a methodology for understanding health and wellness from an indigenous women’s perspective. Previous research exploring Indigenous Australian women’s perspectives have used traditional Western methodologies and have often been felt by the women themselves to be inappropriate and ineffective in gathering information and promoting discussion. This research arose from the indigenous women themselves, and resulted in the exploration of using yarning as a methodology. Yarning is a conversational process that involves the sharing of stories and the development of knowledge. It prioritizes Indigenous ways of communicating, in that it is culturally prescribed, cooperative, and respectful. The authors identify different types of yarning that were relevant throughout their research, and explain two types of yarning—family yarning and cross-cultural yarning—which have not been previously identified in research literature. This project found that yarning as a research method is appropriate for community-based health research with Indigenous Australian women. This may be an important finding for health professionals and researchers to consider when working and researching with Indigenous women from other countries

Perspectives on a decolonizing approach to research about Indigenous women's health : the Indigenous Women's Wellness Study

This paper explores a decolonizing approach to research about Indigenous women’s health in Australia. The paper identifies the strengths of decolonizing methodologies as a way to prioritize Indigenous values and worldviews, develop partnerships between researchers and the researched, and contribute to positive change. The authors draw on Laenui’s (2000) five-step model of decolonization to describe their work in the Indigenous Women’s Wellness Project in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. They argue that Laenui’s model presents a valuable framework for conducting decolonizing research projects about women’s health with Australian Indigenous women. The authors demonstrate that working within a decolonizing framework offers autonomy and sustainability for women’s wellness activities, while continuing to improve a community’s health and wellbeing outcomes