Cities In Australia Research Articles

Assessing the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on alcohol consumption in Melbourne, Australia using high-resolution wastewater sampling

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on alcohol consumption in Australia remains unclear. High-resolution daily samples from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) which served one of the largest cities in Australia, Melbourne, were analysed for temporal trends in alcohol consumption under extended periods of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Melbourne experienced two major lockdowns in 2020, which divided the year of 2020 into five periods (pre-lockdown, first lockdown, between lockdown, second lockdown and post second-lockdown). In this study, daily sampling identified shifts in alcohol consumption during different periods of restrictions. Alcohol consumption in the first lockdown period, when bars closed and social and sports events ceased, was lower than pre-lockdown period. However, alcohol consumption was higher in the second lockdown period than the previous lockdown period. There were spikes in alcohol consumption at the start and end of each lockdown (except for post lockdown). For most of 2020, the usual weekday-weekend variations in alcohol consumption were less evident but there was a significant difference in alcohol consumption between weekdays and weekends after the second lockdown. This suggests that drinking patterns eventually returned to normal after the end of the second lockdown. This study demonstrates the usefulness of high-resolution wastewater sampling in evaluating the effects on alcohol consumption of social interventions in specific temporal locations.

Intra-urban risk assessment of occupational injuries and illnesses associated with current and projected climate: Evidence from three largest Australian cities

BackgroundIncreased risk of occupational injuries and illnesses (OI) is associated with ambient temperature. However, most studies have reported the average impacts within cities, states, or provinces at broader scales. MethodsWe assessed the intra-urban risk of OI associated with ambient temperature in three Australian cities at statistical area level 3 (SA3). We collected daily workers’ compensation claims data and gridded meteorological data from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2018. Heat index was used as the primary temperature metric. We performed a two-stage time series analysis: we generated location-specific estimates using Distributed Lag Non-Linear Models (DLNM) and estimated the cumulative effects with multivariate meta-analysis. The risk was estimated at moderate heat (90th percentile) and extreme heat (99th percentile). Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify vulnerable groups of workers. Further, the OI risk in the future was estimated for two projected periods: 2016–2045 and 2036–2065. ResultsThe cumulative risk of OI was 3.4% in Greater Brisbane, 9.5% in Greater Melbourne, and 8.9% in Greater Sydney at extreme heat. The western inland regions in Greater Brisbane (17.4%) and Greater Sydney (32.3%) had higher risk of OI for younger workers, workers in outdoor and indoor industries, and workers reporting injury claims. The urbanized SA3 regions posed a higher risk (19.3%) for workers in Greater Melbourne. The regions were generally at high risk for young workers and illness-related claims. The projected risk of OI increased with time in climate change scenarios. ConclusionsThis study provides a comprehensive spatial profile of OI risk associated with hot weather conditions across three cities in Australia. Risk assessment at the intra-urban level revealed strong spatial patterns in OI risk distribution due to heat exposure. These findings provide much-needed scientific evidence for work, health, and safety regulators, industries, unions, and workers to design and implement location-specific preventative measures.

Walkability Concept Toward Sustainable City: Comparative Insights of Brisbane and Bogor Urban Areas

A successful sustainable city prioritizes humans by integrating the transportation system with urban development. One of which is considering walkability. The walkability concept is important since walking reduces congestion, promotes low environmental impacts, and possesses social and economic values. Land use integration with walkable pedestrian facilities is a challenge for stakeholders in creating policies to actualize a sustainable city. This paper reviews the walkability condition and policies concerning pedestrian facilities in Brisbane, Australia and Bogor, Indonesia. Bogor was selected due to its strategic location as Jakarta’s satellite city. Method used was literature review with comparative analysis, analyzing similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages of urban policies in prioritizing humans to achieve walkable and sustainable city in Australia and Indonesia. The indicators determining Brisbane community’s behavior to walk are distance to destination (59%), travel time (14%), hot weather (19%), roads with various altitudes (4%), lack of paths (3%), and lack of green areas (1%). In Bogor, Indonesia, pedestrian facilities are lacked for people with special needs, elderlies, children, and pregnant women (16.5%), unsafe crossing facilities (19.8%), and unsafe rider behaviors (15.8%). Policies related to walkability can be used as a basis to influence the behavior of urban communities in walking, to achieve the shared goal: a sustainable city.

Systemic disregard, demoralising occupational burnout, protective maturity: The ‘lived’ experience of nuclear medicine technologists and the impact of COVID-19

ObjectiveIt has been shown that stress in the workplace can contribute to the development or worsening of mental health conditions, as well as having a negative impact on personal relationships and life outside of work. Therefore, prolonged job stress can be damaging to an individual's mental health and wellbeing, potentially leading to burnout. There is limited research surrounding the wellbeing of nuclear medicine technologists practicing globally, and more specifically in Australia. This interpretative phenomenological study seeks the lived experience of nuclear medicine technologists within a large metropolitan city in Australia, how these experiences and COVID-19 has impacted their wellbeing. MethodsFive participants were recruited who had greater than five years working experience as a nuclear medicine technologist. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews conducted online via Zoom to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. The data was transcribed and analysed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) protocols. ResultsOne superordinate theme: systemic regard, demoralizing burnout, protective maturity, overarched four subordinate themes: staying physically and psychologically safe; risk of burnout; maturity as protective against burnout; and COVID-19 drain. Pressures both prior to and during COVID-19 leave the participants feeling undervalued, discredited, and at risk of burnout. However, maturity brings confidence to incorporate their strengths in a more holistic view of life. Glimmers of positivity come from choices to alter their career path and the unexpected opportunities to spend time with family through COVID-19 restrictions. DiscussionOverall, the participants of this study expressed a lack of positivity about their own individual experiences within their career. Occupational stress, caused by workplace bullying, increased workload and understaffing increased their risk of burnout. Although as the participants matured, their ability to cope with occupational stressors improved. The recent COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the participants’ risk of burnout. ConclusionDue to a number of contributing workplace factors, exacerbated by the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, participants in this study appeared to have an increased risk of developing burnout. However, maturity and life experience has helped mitigate this risk.

Housing Price and Interest Rate Hike: A Tale of Five Cities in Australia

Australian housing prices are reported to be overvalued and unaffordable for the past two decades. Many researchers and practitioners have attributed the persistent growth in housing prices to the prolonged period of low borrowing costs. However, due to inflationary pressure, the Central Bank has raised its cash rate consecutively in recent months. This paper aims to examine whether interest rate rises affect housing price in different parts of Australia. Evidence generated from the analysis reported bipolar results between the large and smaller cities, whereby housing prices in Sydney and Melbourne show a significant negative relationship with interest rate changes while Brisbane and the Gold Coast and Perth and Adelaide, respectively, are showing negative but insignificant results during the study period. Short-run trend projections on housing prices indicate that Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast are on a downward trend while Adelaide and Perth will maintain its current momentum before plateauing out later next year. Likewise, control variables, such as oil prices, inflation rate and stock market performance, are found to be related to housing prices in larger cities only. These findings have implications on housing policy, house purchase decisions and investment portfolio management strategy.

From Hilltop Landmarks to Suburban Place Makers: Brisbane’s Post-War Religious Territories and Communities

ABSTRACT This paper examines the shifting urban and architectural manifestations of Christian churches built in twentieth century Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. In doing so, it considers how religious communities contributed to the formation of Brisbane’s modern cityscape. Based on texts published in the journals of Brisbane’s four largest Christian denominations, a chronological mapping of the development of the city’s religious territories from 1945 to 1977, and an architectural analysis of a select number of Brisbane churches, this paper demonstrates how during the post-war era Brisbane’s Churches shifted their urban planning approach from representational hilltop landmarks to community centres, and their architectural manifestation from grand (modern) monuments to suburban place makers. It also discusses what urban and community building strategies were pursued in this multi-denominational religious territory, and how this affected church architecture. While comparable shifts did occur elsewhere, both abroad and interstate, the paper argues that Brisbane, with its hilly topography, property-oriented religious leaders, and lack of government-funded community infrastructures, heightened opportunities for the Churches to use modern architecture and urban planning to express their faith and social values.

Magnifying the Terrace: David Saunders and the Cross Street Co-Operative Housing Development

ABSTRACT This paper traces the influence that pioneering Australian architectural historian David Saunders (1928–1986) exerted over the development of the University of Melbourne’s Cross Street Co-operative Housing Development in Carlton designed by Earle, Shaw & Partners (1970–1971). Cross Street is one of a number of public–private medium-density housing developments that were constructed on large sites resumed by the Housing Commission of Victoria after World War II. While the Housing Commission was demolishing large areas of inner Melbourne for tabula rasa high-rise modernist development, Saunders argued for the retention, adaptation, and acculturation of urban form, exemplified in the house he and architect wife Doreen designed for themselves in Parkville (1962). Saunders took an active role in commissioning Cross Street and his influence meant that it became the first large-scale urban project in Australia that consciously articulated an understanding of its historic environment. The project demonstrates many of his key urban ideas such as the importance of the nineteenth-century terrace form and shared pedestrianised spaces. This paper argues that the project presaged the so-called rediscovery of the city in Australia, emerged amidst the rise of local architectural history as a discipline, heritage activism, and an institution positioning itself for expansion.

Development of Scenario Based Techno-Economic Assessment Tool, Hydrogen Model Plot (HMP), from Production to Delivery of Hydrogen as a Fuel Across Major Cities in Australia

Development of Scenario Based Techno-Economic Assessment Tool, Hydrogen Model Plot (HMP), from Production to Delivery of Hydrogen as a Fuel Across Major Cities in Australia

Combining data envelopment analysis and Random Forest for selecting optimal locations of solar PV plants

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has emerged as a potential alternative to carbon-based energies to meet the Paris agreement commitment. This study investigates the effect of environmental variables on the efficiency of solar PV panels. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to estimate efficiencies of 91 solar PV panels located in Australia during the time period 2010–2020. The effects of environmental variables on the estimated efficiencies are quantified using the truncated regression model. Random forest is then used to predict efficiency of solar PV panel in every city of Australia. The results allow to determine the most suitable location and regions for solar PV energy production in Australia. This study provides an interesting and easily interpretable tool for policy decision makers.

Dark cities or cities of light? – sunlight amenity preservation at whole-city scale using a spatio-temporal decision support approach

Public open spaces are fundamentally important for the health and well-being of citizens in densely populated cities. If not carefully planned, high-density urban development can overshadow adjacent open spaces, resulting in poor quality, dark and oppressive winter conditions. Current planning control approaches for protecting light amenity in cities are often limited to simple overshadowing impact diagrams (e.g. shadows cast on the equinox at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.). In cities transitioning from low to higher density, comprising more complex urban forms and more extreme seasonal light amenity dynamics, these static approaches are insufficient. This paper outlines the development of a spatio-temporal design decision support system for analysing and protecting the light amenity of public open spaces, applied to a capital city in Australia. The system described has two parts: Firstly, to assess the overshadowing of existing public open spaces and identify those in need of protection (Part A), and secondly to generate planning restrictions to protect designated open spaces from future deprivation of light (Part B). For Part A, we use a graphics processing unit accelerated aggregate-shadow (15 minute increments) calculation applied to a detailed city-wide 3D model generated from billions of points of aerial survey (LiDAR) data. For Part B, we use a reversed solar ray casting approach we call the ‘Subtracto-Sun’ which allows a user to specify a time range (e.g. 9 a.m.–4 p.m.) for multiple days of the year and subsequent generation of 3D maximum building height development envelopes. The output of this system was used by the local government to inform a proposed planning policy amendment for the City of Melbourne. The findings illustrate the potential for urban professionals to use the system to rapidly assess shadow impacts for existing and proposed, contextually accurate, large, complex urban environments with high levels of geometric and temporal details. The presented results are significant in that we develop and apply our spatio-temporal decision-support approach to a local government area, successfully informing planning height restriction decisions to protect daylight amenity of public open spaces in need of protection. Our method for setting development height restrictions allows for higher density to be achieved, while not increasing the overshadowing of critical open space infrastructure during designated times.

Tropical modernism in Australia’s Top End: climate, generic models and Harry Seidler’s Paspaley House, Darwin

The Paspaley House (1959) in Darwin designed by Harry Seidler, Australia’s best-known modernist architect, illustrates the global exchange of information that links Europe, North America, and Brazil to what was then one of the least developed but most strategically significant cities in Australia. Darwin’s remoteness from major population centres in Australia has meant that very little is known about the Paspaley House. Whilst the Commonwealth Environmental Building Station (CEBS) established solar principles, these efforts suppressed local climate difference and failed to account for tropical cyclones, leading to omissions and generalisations in the reception and recording of Australia’s tropical modernist architecture. This paper contextualises the Paspaley House by comparing it to ‘tropical house’ designs by the Commonwealth Department of Works and the only other known contemporaneous modernist house in Darwin, the ES&A Bank Manager’s Residence (1957) designed by Stuart McIntosh. It reveals Seidler's response to designing and building in equatorial Darwin against a backdrop of global discourse around modern tropical architecture and the escalation in scientific research in Australia to establish performance standards for housing in tropical zones. It uncovers the extent of Seidler's climate awareness at the moment when the significance of climate to his broader practice was first fully realised.

Early access to a cardio-oncology clinic in an Australian context: a qualitative exploration of patient experiences

BackgroundDedicated cardio-oncology services are emerging rapidly around the world in order to provide cardiovascular care (CV) for cancer patients. The perspectives of patients regarding their experience of cardiac surveillance during their cancer journey has not been qualitatively evaluated.MethodsAn interpretative qualitative study. Fifteen, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a diverse range of community dwelling patients who attended a newly established cardio-oncology clinic in a large regional city in Australia. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach.ResultsKey themes were identified: (1) Access to a cardio-oncology clinic promotes information and understanding, (2) The experience of early CV intervention, (3) Factors promoting integrated care, (4) Balancing cancer treatment and CV symptoms and (5) Managing past and emerging CV risk factors.ConclusionAs cardio oncology clinics continue to emerge, this study confirms the benefit of early access to a cardiologist for management of existing or emerging CV risk factors and diseases in the context of cancer treatment. Participants valued the opportunity for regular monitoring and management of CV issues that enabled them to continue cancer treatment. However, we identified gaps in education and support towards making positive lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of CV diseases in cancer patients.

Potential financial impact on television networks of a ban on alcohol advertising during sports broadcasts in Australia

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the potential financial impacts on Australian television networks of a ban on alcohol advertising during sports broadcasts. MethodsWe analysed television advertising data from Nielsen, a commercial market research company. The data included details of all advertisements (ads) for the 10 highest‐spending alcohol brands on free‐to‐air television networks in the five largest capital cities in Australia over a 12‐month period (November 2018–October 2019). We estimated alcohol advertising spend during sports broadcasts. Financial value per network was estimated using ad duration and total spend per channel. ResultsThere were 10,660 alcohol ads (average of 75 minutes per week) shown during sports broadcasts, amounting to A$14.4 million in revenue to television networks. Forty‐five per cent of these ads were at children's viewing times. Channel Seven received the largest amount of alcohol advertising revenue (A$20.8 million), of which A$10.8 million (52.0%) was during sports broadcasts (0.5% of its total advertising revenue). ConclusionsAlcohol advertising during sports broadcasts is pervasive but contributes a relatively small proportion of revenue for television networks. Implications for public healthA ban on alcohol advertising during sport broadcasts is unlikely to have major financial impacts on broadcasters, whilst the health and social benefits are potentially substantial.

Deep learning based topic and sentiment analysis: COVID19 information seeking on social media

Social media platforms have become a common place for information exchange among their users. People leave traces of their emotions via text expressions. A systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of social media data across time and space can give insights into local outbreaks, mental health, and social issues. Such timely insights can help in developing strategies and resources with an appropriate and efficient response. This study analysed a large Spatio-temporal tweet dataset of the Australian sphere related to COVID19. The methodology included a volume analysis, topic modelling, sentiment detection, and semantic brand score to obtain an insight into the COVID19 pandemic outbreak and public discussion in different states and cities of Australia over time. The obtained insights are compared with independently observed phenomena such as government-reported instances.

A Workshop on Social Media Apps for Year-10 Students: An Exploratory Case Study on Digital Technology Education in Regional Australia

A designated hands-on workshop on social media apps was conducted for two groups of Year-10 students from three schools in or near Rockhampton, an outer regional city in Australia, before the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hosted in a computer laboratory on the Rockhampton campus of the Central Queensland University of Australia. Statistical analyses of the students’ responses to the interactive practices during the workshop indicated that social media apps were widely used among the school students living in Australian regional communities, but their general digital literacy seemed below the educational goals for Year-10 students required in the national digital technologies curriculum (DTC). The encouraging sign was that some students expressed a genuine desire and interest in learning more digital technologies and creating purposeful digital applications. In Australia, however, there is no national specialist DTC for students in Years 11 and 12. Hence, it may be worthwhile to consider designing and implementing advanced national specialist digital curriculum for senior students in Years 11 and 12 who are true lovers of digital technologies. Some thoughts on improving STEM education outcomes in secondary schools in regional areas are also shared.

Older people, house-sitting and ethics of care

Urbanisation, housing affordability and an ageing population are key focus areas in major cities in Australia and worldwide. A lack of affordable housing is affecting a greater number of people, and particularly, a growing number of older populations. This paper draws inspiration from Power and Mee (Housing Studies, 35(3), 496, 2020) and asks: ‘is this a housing system that cares?’ The paper explores opportunities for care that emerge from practices of house-sharing and in particular house-sitting. Findings from semi-structured interviews with older house-sitters (aged 50 years and over) suggested house-sitting provides an affordable shelter for older people experiencing financial insecurity, thus has the potential to increase their capacity for care-related expenditure. Housing mobility, insecure tenure and a lack of a caring governance to manage the relationship between owners and sitters can however put older house-sitters in a vulnerable position, leading to negative impacts on their wellbeing. The research findings inform housing policy-makers and researchers about the growing practices of house-sitting among older people, and help grow and sustain a housing system that cares.

Pedestrians’ rights in the time of the e-scooter: What happened to the ‘foot’ in footpath?

Hailed as a ‘green’ solution for decongesting traffic, electric scooters are invading the footpath in numerous cities in Australia. This article argues that legislative and local administrative action taken regarding the use of e-scooters in a space traditionally occupied by pedestrians and slow mobility devices should better balance the rights and interests at stake.

Public art for placemaking and urban renewal: Insights from three regional Australian cities

Public art is internationally used as a place-making device to drive urban regeneration and boost social capital. Benefits include enhanced urban environments, increased resident and tourist footfall and improved local economies This paper examines public art provision in three regional cities in Australia: Townsville, Gold Coast and Toowoomba. Each city leverages public art for placemaking and renewal, seeking to deliver thriving and creative urban precincts with strong community identity. This paper investigates how planning approaches to managing public art vary across the cities and how effective they are in delivering artworks. Theoretical contributions focus on the intrinsic and instrumental values of public art for urban communities. Empirical findings derive from policy reviews, spatial audits and semi-structured interviews with art producers - elected officials and industry professionals. Findings from Townsville, Gold Coast and Toowoomba reflect international experiences, where public art projects improve spaces and remediate a range of disorderly urban conditions. This paper contributes to international literature on the planning and provision of public artworks as a form of creative placemaking and urban renewal. Its focus on regional, marginal cities is novel, considering the preponderance of international research focused on major cities and their metropolitan surrounds.

Researching inside police custody in four jurisdictions: ‘Getting in’, ‘getting on’, ‘getting your hands dirty’ and ‘getting through it’

As a unique criminal justice organisation, the police present challenges, but also opportunities for those who research them. These are examined, in terms of getting in, getting on, getting your hands dirty and getting through it, using data collected as part of a comparative multi-method study of police custody in large cities in Australia, England, Ireland and the United States in 2007 and 2009. As this research took place on the cusp of the proliferation of research with the police, retrospective examination of field notes is used to reflect on how the research process is influenced not just by one’s social origins but also by the culture of academia and the politics of knowledge production. It is argued that while research with the police is becoming the norm, research on the police is still of value as part of a diverse police research agenda.

A transformative mission for prioritising nature in Australian cities

Australia is experiencing mounting pressures related to processes of urbanisation, biodiversity loss and climate change felt at large in cities. At the same time, it is cities that can take the leading role in pioneering approaches and solutions to respond to those coupling emergencies. In this perspective piece we respond to the following question: What are the required transformations for prioritising, valuing, maintaining and embracing nature in cities in Australia? We adopt the mission framework as an organising framework to present proposed pathways to transform Australian cities as nature-positive places of the future. We propose three interconnected pathways as starting actions to steer urban planning, policy and governance in Australian cities: First, cities need to establish evidence-based planning for nature in cities and mainstream new planning tools that safeguard and foreground urban nature. Second, collaborative planning needs to become a standard practice in cities and inclusive governance for nature in cities needs to prioritise Aboriginal knowledge systems and practices as well as look beyond what local governments can do. Third, for progressing to nature-positive cities, it is paramount to empower communities to innovate with nature across Australian cities. Whilst we focus on Australian cities, the lessons and pathways are broadly applicably globally and can inspire science-policy debates for the post COP15 biodiversity and COP26 climate change implementation processes.