Maroochy Shire Research Articles

Triple Bottom Line Reporting and Performance of Oil and Gas Companies in Bayelsa State of Nigeria

This study examined triple bottom line reporting and performance of the oil and gas companies in Bayelsa State of Nigeria. Specifically, the study aimed to assess the degree of the oil and gas companies’ intervention in the social-economic welfare of the host communities as well as their level of compliance to environmental sustainability and standards. The theoretical foundation for this study is anchored on the Maroochy Shire Council theory. Based on the descriptive survey approach research design, primary data was generated through a structured questionnaire for the study, and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) was adopted to analyse the data. The findings showed that there is a significant level of influence of the oil and gas companies’ intervention on the socioeconomic welfare of the host communities on performance. The study also revealed that there is a significant level of influence of oil and gas companies’ compliance to environmental sustainability and standards on performance. Hence the study concluded on the overall that there is a significant relationship between triple bottom line reporting and performance of oil and gas companies in Bayelsa State. Thus the study recommends among others that oil and gas companies should ensure that they intervene on issues that concerns the socioeconomic welfare of their host communities in terms of provisions of pipe born water, electricity, good road, scholarship to encourage individuals to study to any level of education of their choice. By so doing oil and gas companies would enjoy unhindered operations and achieve performance improvement.

A Time-Series Self-Supervised Learning Approach to Detection of Cyber-physical Attacks in Water Distribution Systems

Water Distribution System (WDS) threats have significantly grown following the Maroochy shire incident, as evidenced by proofed attacks on water premises. As a result, in addition to traditional solutions (e.g., data encryption and authentication), attack detection is being proposed in WDS to reduce disruption cases. The attack detection system must meet two critical requirements: high accuracy and near real-time detection. This drives us to propose a two-stage detection system that uses self-supervised and unsupervised algorithms to detect Cyber-Physical (CP) attacks. Stage 1 uses heuristic adaptive self-supervised algorithms to achieve near real-time decision-making and detection sensitivity of 66% utilizing Boss. Stage 2 attempts to validate the detection of attacks using an unsupervised algorithm to maintain a detection accuracy of 94% utilizing Isolation Forest. Both stages are examined against time granularity and are empirically analyzed against a variety of performance evaluation indicators. Our findings demonstrate that the algorithms in stage 1 are less favored than those in the literature, but their existence enables near real-time decision-making and detection reliability. In stage 2, the isolation Forest algorithm, in contrast, gives excellent accuracy. As a result, both stages can collaborate to maximize accuracy in a near real-time attack detection system.

Separation anxiety: an empirical evaluation of the Australian Sunshine Coast Regional Council de-amalgamation

As part of the broader Queensland local government amalgamation programme, in 2008 Noosa Shire Council, Caloundra City Council and Maroochy Shire Council were compulsorily merged into a new Sunshine Coast Regional Council. Five years on, unyielding public opposition and a new Queensland Government has secured deamalgamation of Noosa Shire from the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. Given the almost complete absence of empirical literature on municipal de-amalgamation, the Noosa case provides a rare opportunity to empirically assess a de-amalgamation process. Accordingly, this paper provides a critical evaluation of the de-amalgamation analysis prepared by the Queensland Treasury Corporation. Far from placating residents, the de-amalgamation plans are likely to provoke further acrimony due not only to equity problems, but also a lack of democratic representation on key decisionmaking bodies. On a broader level, this case study serves as a template for the theory and practice associated with any municipal de-amalgamation—either in Australia or abroad.

Rethinking tomorrow's cities: Emerging issues on city foresight

Rethinking tomorrow's cities now, builds our capacity to act with foresight and create resilient and liveable places. I use methods from the futures studies field, particularly macrohistory, to provoke our current patterns of city making. From macrohistory, the grand patterns of social change reveal some of the key systems dynamics influencing the rise and fall of cities in civilisation. The key urban system dynamics in the broadest sense provide a meta-framework of emerging issues shaping new urban challenges or opportunities for our towns and cities. The hope drawn from the past and present is to focus our urban interventions in the key areas to create future cities of wonder and purpose. The implications of the emerging issues (critical focus areas of city foresight) that arise from the macrohistorical analysis are discussed using the case study of the Maroochy 2025 community visioning project. 2025 is a community driven project to develop shared visions and action plans for the Maroochy Shire 1 1 Maroochy Shire is a “sea change” community on the Sunshine coast in Queensland Australia, and is dealing with rapid population increase, major infrastructure and social issues and significant demographic changes. towards the year 2025, for the purpose of creating an empowering and community owned response to the challenges facing them locally and globally.

Encroachment of Echinococcus granulosus into urban areas in eastern Queensland, Australia

To investigate the prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus in wild dogs (dingos and dingo-domestic dog hybrids) living in and around human habitation on Fraser Island and in townships of the Maroochy Shire, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Australia. Wild dogs were humanely killed on Fraser Island and in the Maroochy Shire because they were deemed a potential danger to the public. Their intestines were collected and the contents examined for intestinal parasites. Intestines were removed as soon after death as possible, packed in plastic bags and kept frozen until examination. The intestinal contents were washed, sieved and examined microscopically for the presence of helminths, which were identified and counted. Intestines from 108 wild dogs, 7 foxes and 18 Fraser Island dingoes were examined. Echinococcus granulosus was only present in the wild dogs from Maroochy Shire (46.3%) with worm burdens of between 30 and 104,000. Other helminths included Spirometra erinacei, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia spp., Ancylostoma caninum and Toxocara canis. Two specimens of a trematode (Haplorchinae sp.) usually found infecting fish and seabirds were recovered from a Fraser Island dingo. Dingoes on Fraser Island are not infected with E. granulosus and do not pose a hydatid disease public health risk to residents or visitors. However, wild dogs examined from the Maroochy Shire do present a potential hydatid disease public health risk.

Exploring Residents' Perceptions of the Social Impacts of Tourism on the Sunshine Coast, Australia

ABSTRACT This study identified residents' perceptions of major social impacts from tourism and their social concerns. A survey of households on the Sunshine Coast region covering the hinterland residential, hinterland high tourist activity, coastal residential and coastal high tourist activity areas of the three shires (Caloundra City Council, Maroochy Shire and Noosa Shire) was carried out to assess residents' perceptions of social impacts. Altogether 732 responses were received. Based on the perceptions of the respondents, the survey results suggest that if rates of resident perceptions are aligned with actual impact, tourism has the highest impact on traffic congestion. Residents perceived that the opportunity to meet people from other regions of the world provides a valuable experience for respondents to better understand their culture and society. The study also found a number of significant correlations between residents' concerns and tourism impact variables. It revealed that the principal area of concern was the lack of capacity of roads and transportation followed by perceived negative impacts on the surrounding environment and crime related incidents.

Dingo Control or Conservation? Attitudes Towards Urban Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) as an Aid to Dingo Management

Author(s): Atkinson, Sarah A. | Abstract: There is surprisingly little research into urban dingoes, even though urban areas in Australia are rapidly increasing, along with a concurrent increase in the number of reported conflicts with wildlife. Misguided and so-called ad hoc management of dingo populations, often caused by an over-reaction by the media to a situation, is commonly accredited for these conflicts. There can also be confusion over whom to contact when problems arise. A survey of the attitudes of parents of school-aged children towards urban dingoes in their area was carried out in Maroochy Shire, in South-East Queensland. Respondents generally believed that dingoes could be dangerous, but they preferred that control methods used be ‘humane’. Most respondents obtained their knowledge of dingoes from television and news media; about ¾ of respondents requested information regarding dingo management issues. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service was selected by a majority of respondents as the preferred agency to deal with dingo management.

VFR Travel: An Examination of the Expenditures of VFR Travellers and their Hosts

The visiting friends and relatives (VFR) phenomenon is a sizeable form of travel. Despite this, VFR travel has been largely ignored, and has remained highly under-researched. Through undertaking exploratory quantitative research, using Maroochy Shire within Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Australia, as a case study area, VFR travel was found to be greatly misunderstood and underestimated. This research concluded that both VFR numbers and expenditures have been greatly understated due to problems regarding expenditure accounting systems as well as disregarding the expenditures incurred by VFR hosts.

Development time and survival of Verrallina funerea (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) immatures and other brackish water mosquito species in southeast Queensland, Australia

Verrallina funerea (Theobald) is a brackish water mosquito that is recognised as an important pest and vector in southeast Queensland, Australia. Immature development time and survival of Ve. funerea was defined in the laboratory in response to a range of temperatures (17-34 degrees C) and salinities (0-35 parts per thousand (p.p.t)). The expression of autogeny in this species was also assessed. Salinity only had a slight effect on mean development time from hatching to adult emergence (7.0-7.4 d at salinities of 0, 17.5 and 31.5 p.p.t) and survival was uniformly high (97.5-99.0%). Mean development times were shorter at 26, 29 and 32 degrees C (7.0, 6.8 and 6.8 d, respectively) and longest at 17 degrees C (12.2 d). The threshold temperature (t) was 5.8 degrees C and the thermal constant (K) was 142.9 degree-days above t. Survival to adulthood decreased from > 95% (at 17-29 degrees C) to 78% (at 32 degrees C) and 0% (at 34 degrees C). No expression of autogeny was observed. Immature development times of Ve. funerea, Ochlerotatus vigilax (Skuse) and Oc. procax (Skuse) were then determined under field conditions at Maroochy Shire. Following tide and rain inundation, cohorts of newly hatched larvae were monitored daily by dipping, and time until pupation was noted. Tidal inundation triggered hatching of Ve. funerea and Oc. vigilax larvae whereas Oc. procax larvae were found only after rain inundation. Estimates of Ve. funerea and Oc. vigilax field development times were similar (8-9 d) while Oc. procax development time was slightly longer (9-10 d). Based on these survey results, control activities targeting Ve. funerea must be initiated 4 d (if using Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis de Barjac) or 5 d (if using s-methoprene) after inundation. However, Casuarina glauca Sieber canopy and branchlets covering breeding habitats may present a problem for the penetration of such treatments.

Emergence trapping of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in brackish forest habitats in Maroochy Shire, south-east Queensland, Australia, and a management option for Verrallina funerea (Theobald) and Aedes procax (Skuse)

This study details the use of emergence traps with sticky adhesive to capture adult mosquitoes emerging from brackish water pools located in almost impenetrable swamp oak and tea-tree forests in Maroochy Shire, south-eastern Queensland. Twenty emergence traps were set weekly for 12 weeks between March and June 1998, during which time a total of 825 adult mosquitoes were collected. Aedes procax (Skuse) (55%) was the most abundant species, followed by Verrallina funerea (Theobald) (16%) and Culex halifaxii Theobald (9%). Emergence of Ve. funerea was greatest after tidal inundation of pools with brackish water, whereas Ae. procax emerged in greatest numbers following heavy rainfall. As there are significant areas of swamp oak and tea-tree forest in Maroochy Shire and an increasing pressure for urbanisation in adjacent areas, the aerial application of persistent S-methoprene formulations is considered the most appropriate option for control.

Definition of Ross River Virus Vectors at Maroochy Shire, Australia

Evidence of Ross River (RR) virus infection in field-collected mosquitoes and data from laboratory vector competence experiments incriminated a range of mosquito species as important vectors of RR virus in Maroochy Shire, Queensland, Australia. Nine RR and 2 Barmah Forest virus isolates were recovered from 27,529 mosquitoes collected in light traps from Maroochy Shire during 1996. Nine of the 10 most abundant mosquito species collected in light traps were fed on blood containing the B94/20 strain RR isolated from Queensland in 1994. All species except for Culex sitiens Wiedemann were susceptible to experimental infection. Evidence of RR virus transmission to mice was found with Aedes vigilax (Skuse), Aedes funereus (Theobald), Aedes procax (Skuse), Culex annulirostris Skuse, Mansonia uniformis (Theobald) and Culex australicus Dobrotworsky & Drummond. Aedes notoscriptus (Skuse) and Aedes multiplex (Theobald) were susceptible to RR virus infection, although there was no evidence of virus transmission. Based on adult abundance and vector competence results, freshwater species such as Cx. annulirostris, Ae. procax, and Ae. funereus, and saltmarsh Ae. vigilax, appear to be important vectors of RR virus in Maroochy Shire and control programs should be revised to include these species.

Vector competence of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from Maroochy Shire, Australia, for Barmah Forest virus.

Mosquitoes were collected in light traps from Maroochy Shire and fed on blood containing the sympatric BF1611 strain of Barmah Forest virus (BF). Saltmarsh Aedes vigilax (Skuse) and freshwater Aedes procax (Skuse) were highly susceptible to infection, with ID50s of 10(1.7) and 10(1.5) African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell culture infectious dose, 50% endpoint (CCID50) per mosquito, respectively, followed by Aedes multiplex (Theobald) and Aedes funereus (Theobald) with 10(2.5) and 10(3.2) CCID50 per mosquito, respectively. Culex australicus Dobrotworsky & Drummond and Mansonia uniformis (Theobald) that were fed 10(3.6) CCID50 (Vero) BF per mosquito had infection rates of 28 and 60%, respectively. Only 8% of freshwater Culex annulirostris Skuse fed the same viral dose were infected. Evidence of virus transmission to mice was found with Ae. vigilax and Ae. procax, with transmission rates of 65 and 88% at 11-12 d after infection, respectively. Based on adult abundance, susceptibility to infection, and efficiency of virus transmission, Ae. vigilax would appear to be the most important vector of BF in Maroochy Shire.

Spatial and temporal analysis of Ross River virus disease patterns at Maroochy Shire, Australia: association between human morbidity and mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) abundance.

Notifications of Ross River (RR) virus disease in Maroochy Shire were mapped according to the patient's place of residence, and standardized morbidity ratios were calculated for each of 11 census districts, with 4 areas having higher than average overall rates of RR virus disease notification. Temporal analysis of RR virus disease notifications from each of the 11 areas indicated that epidemics of RR virus disease either were widespread, resulting in higher than average numbers of cases from the majority of areas, or limited to only certain areas. Mosquitoes were collected in CO2 light traps, and the numbers analyzed to determine whether there was any association between mosquito abundance and disease incidence. Seasonal light trap indices for the fresh water-breeding Culex annulirostris Skuse and brackish water-breeding Aedes funereus (Theobald) were correlated positively with disease incidence. There was no apparent association between Aedes vigilax (Skuse) or Aedes procax (Skuse) light trap indices and disease incidence. Identification of human subpopulations with higher than average rates of RR virus disease, and the mosquito vectors associated with virus transmission, should provide a framework for the development of focused and therefore more effective control programs.

Library automation: A year on

In our June issue last year we spoke to five librarians from around the world about the library automation systems in place in their libraries, and their thoughts and plans for the future. This year we asked them to take a look back and see what has changed, how much has come true and, again, to give their thoughts on what the future might hold. Min‐Min Chang is Director of the Library at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library (http://library.ust.hk). Alejandro Leal‐Cueva is in charge of the Library Automation Programme at the University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico (http://ulibarri.bcms.uanl.mx). Lyndall Osborne is Circulation Services Librarian at Maroochy Shire Library Service, Queensland, Australia (http://peg.apc.org/‐maroochy/). Cinda Romuldietz is Automation Supervisor at Saskatoon Public Library, Canada (http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/education/spl). Sue Sutherland is Libraries Manager at Canterbury Public Library, Christchurch, New Zealand (http://www.ccc.govt.nz/Library/).

Library automation

For this month's Focus interview we spoke to five librarians around the world about the automation system used in their library, their opinion of it, and their thoughts for the future of library automation. Lyndall Osborne is Circulation Services Librarian at Maroochy Shire Library Service, Queensland, Australia (http://peg.apc.org/∼maroochy/). Sue Sutherland is Libraries Manager of Canterbury Public Library, Christchurch, New Zealand (http://www.ccc.govt.nz/Library/). Min‐Min Chang is Director of the Library at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library (http://library.ust.hk/). Cinda Romuldietz is Automation Supervisor at Saskatoon Public Library, Canada (http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/education/spl/). Alejandro Leal‐Cueva is in charge of the Library Automation Programme at the University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico (http://ulibarri.bcms.uanl.mx/).