Mawson Lakes Research Articles

Enhancing Accessibility, Functionality and Meditation Design in a Suburban Activity Centre: A Case Study at Mawson Lakes Campus

Incorporating the user’s and the broader community’s values in the built environment design for placemaking is becoming essential. The proposed method applies a quality function deployment framework to assess campus accessibility and functionality to meet the users’ needs. The results showed the improvements required to the current campus design, including quiet places, more meditation places, improved public transport from home to and on campus and increased social activities and accessibility. We concluded that access to meditation places was essential for enhancing people’s well-being. The study results could be extended from suburban campuses to suburban town centres and prominent industrial places. There is a significant need to connect with the built environment by ensuring that people’s desires and needs are integrated into a place-making approach.

The stratigraphically lowest known Cambrian trilobites from the Dial Range Trough, northwest Tasmania and from western Tasmania

The stratigraphically lowest known agnostoids and trilobites from both the Dial Range Trough of northwest Tasmania and from western Tasmania are described. Those from the Dial Range Trough occur in the Isandula Road area and comprise the agnostoid Acadagnostus cf. rakuroensis, and the trilobites Pagetia sp., Nepea cf. nans and Paibianomocare? sp., thus suggesting a range between the Triplagnostus gibbus and Euagnostus opimus zones. Loxonepea is placed in synonymy with Nepea. The Sticht Range Beds of western Tasmania contain only two poorly preserved trilobite specimens referred to Anomocarellidae gen. et sp. indet.; a definite age cannot be obtained from this material. James B. Jago [jim.jago@unisa.edu.au], University of South Australia—STEM, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia Christopher J. Bentley [bigfossil@bigpond.com], 30 Albert Street, Clare, South Australia, 5453, Australia

A Guzhangian (late Middle Cambrian) fauna from the Gidgealpa 1 drillhole, Warburton Basin, South Australia

A Cambrian Series 3 (Guzhangian, Boomerangian) fauna is described from Core 12 of the Gidgealpa 1 drillhole from the Warburton Basin, northeastern South Australia. There are four agnostoid taxa: Ammagnostus laiwuensis, Lejopyge calva, L. armata and an unassigned pygidium, and six polymerid trilobite taxa: Fuchouia sp., Dorypyge sp., Solenoparia changi sp. nov., Pianaspis sp., an unassigned cranidium and an unassigned pygidium. This fauna suggests a correlation with the Goniagnostus nathorsti Zone or the lower part of the Lejopyge laevigata Zone (Boomerangian on the northern Australian biostratigraphic scheme), with the latter preferred. These are the first published descriptions of fossils of this age from the Warburton Basin. Xiaowen Sun [Xiaowen_s@yahoo.com.au], Sun Petroleum Geoservices, 4 Jolie Grove, Box Hill, Victoria 3128, Australia; Christopher J. Bentley [ bigfossil@bigpond.com], 30 Albert Street, Clare, South Australia, 5453, Australia; James B. Jago [jim.jago@unisa.edu.au], University of South Australia–STEM, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia.

Residents’ choices and preferences regarding transit-oriented housing

ABSTRACT Transit-oriented development (TOD) housing aims to provide housing in locations with good public transportation network, and where residents can work, study and pursue leisure nearby. With this goal, TOD housing could create a more sustainable and time-saving living environment. However, a controversy then arises as these benefits may mean that TOD housing may be pushed to higher price brackets through demand and commercialisation. Although there is much research on TOD and non-transit-oriented development (non-TOD) housing the analysis of revealed and stated preference for TOD house demand and supply is rare. Using stated preference data, results derived from three different groups of residents in Adelaide – ‘Corridor Population’, ‘Working Population’ and ‘Mawson Lakes Population’ (a transit-oriented development [TOD] group) – are compared, revealing their different housing needs and demands. All three modelled populations show similar preference patterns regarding housing type, distance to the train station and housing affordability, but some differences are evident. The Corridor Population and Working Population seek houses closer to bus stops, while the Mawson Lakes Population desires housing with high-frequency train services and more activities nearby. The power of the modelling approach to identify factors pertinent for policy development is clearly demonstrated.

Late Cambrian (Iverian, Jiangshanian) fossils from the Professor Range area, Western Tasmania

Late Cambrian (Iverian, Jiangshanian) agnostoids and trilobites are described from two localities in the Professor Range area of western Tasmania. The fossils occur within a thick folded flysch succession of siltstone, mudstone, quartzwacke sandstone and siliceous conglomerate that forms the lower part of the Owen Group correlatives in this area. The flysch succession has a conformable and probable gradational contact with the underlying Mt Read Volcanics and is abruptly overlain by the siliceous pebble-cobble conglomerate correlated with the Middle Owen Conglomerate of the West Coast Range. The stratigraphically lower southern locality contains the agnostoids Pseudagnostus sp. and Agnostinae gen. et sp. indet. plus the polymerid trilobites Parabolina sp., Hedinaspis sp. cf. H. regalis and Eugonocare sp. The northern locality contains the agnostoids Rhaptagnostus sp. and Pseudagnostus sp. plus the polymerid trilobites Hedinaspis sp. cf. H. regalis, Ketyna? sp. 1, Ketyna? sp. 2, and Cermatops sp. It is possible that most specimens of the cosmopolitan genus Hedinaspis belong in the type species, H. regalis.Christopher J. Bentley [bigfossil@bigpond.com], 30 Albert Street, Clare SA 5453; James B. Jago [jim.jago@unisa.edu.au], University of South Australia, School of Natural and Built Environment, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095; Keith D. Corbett [keith.corbett@bigpond.com], 35 Pillinger Drive, Fern Tree Tas 7054, Australia.

Sensitivity Analysis of Surface Runoff Parameters Towards Peak Discharge and Flood Volume

Inappropriate urban flood management may cause deterioration of urban living quality, known as urban decay. In order to avoid this, the sensitivity of surface runoff parameters towards peak discharge (Qp) and flood volume (Vf) needs to be analysed. By conducting sensitivity analysis, the influence of any runoff parameter to these two output can be assessed quantitatively. This study aims to sort out the sensitivity of seven runoff parameters towards Qp and Vf at part of the suburb of Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Four synthetic rainfall events with the Annual Recurrence Interval (ARI) of 2-year and 50-year; each with the duration of 12 hour and 72-hour; were generated by the AusIFD software. The hourly intensity values of these synthetic rainfall were then fed into the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to predict Qp and Vf. Further, the initial values of runoff parameters based on previous studies were used in the first flood estimation. Different sets of parameters which were 25% less than and greater than the initial values were used in the next flood modelling. Results showed that the most sensitive parameters were %-impervious followed by Manning’s n-pervious. Modelling using initial values of parameters produced Qp and Vf of 0.340 m3/s and 2.372 MCM for 2-year ARI respectively, whereas the corresponding values for 50-year ARI were 0.519 m3/s and 3.424 MCM, respectively. Decreasing the parameter initial values by 25% produced. Meanwhile, increasing the parameters’ initial value by 25%.

Students’ commuting pattern from the viewpoint of environmentalism: comparing Australia with China

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the differences between students’ travel behaviours in Australia and China and the association between students’ environmental attitudes and their travel behaviours in both countries. Design/methodology/approach The paper extensively reviewed most of existing literature work on commuting patterns of higher education students with referring to different studies around the world and then used it to build a theoretical framework and conceptual model to relate the travel patterns of students to built environment, personal demographics and environmental knowledge/consideration. An online survey was used with 230 students at Mawson Lakes campus of University of South Australia and Beiyangyuan campus of Tianjin University (China). Statistical tests (i.e. mean test, one-way analysis of variance, factor analysis) were used to analyse the data. Findings The study reveals that a high dependence on private vehicles amongst students at the Mawson Lakes campus, whilst a more environmentally sustainable modal choice dominated at the Beiyangyuan campus. Those who studied at Mawson Lakes campus tended to have stronger involvement in environmental activities than their counterparts at Beiyangyuan campus, which presented a clear association between environmental awareness and the travel behaviours of the sampled students. Research limitations/implications The study focussed on two respective campuses of both universities in Australia and China. Future work could be expanded with students at all campuses of two universities. Practical implications The study affirmed the value of nurturing environmental awareness for students in both universities to encourage more environmentally sustainable travel behaviours amongst students. The paper provides policy recommendations such as establishing infrastructure, and facilities for new stream of mobility included sharing bike schemes, which would be very practical due to flexibility and cost effectiveness within University campuses. The paper attempted to transfer lessons from Chinese bike friendly society to Adelaide’s car dominated campus. Originality/value This study brings remarkable contributions as comparing university students’ travel behaviours in two different nations. It is the first one in Australia, which links the environmental concerns among university students with their travel behaviours. The paper was successful in getting the gap between theory and practice filled to some extent. The paper has a capability to be used as an evidence-base work in the area of sustainability education.

Some middle and late Cambrian trilobites and brachiopods from the Adamsfield Trough, Tasmania

Jago, J.B., Bentley, C.J., Laurie, J.R. & Corbett, K.B., 26 June 2018. Some middle and late Cambrian trilobites and brachiopods from the Adamsfield Trough, Tasmania. Alcheringa 43, 1-17. ISSN 0311-5518.Cambrian Series 3 and Furongian trilobites and brachiopods are described from the Adamsfield Trough in southwestern Tasmania. The oldest fossils are very poorly preserved trilobites, assigned to Asaphiscidae gen. et sp. indet. from within the Island Road Formation a short distance above the unconformity with the underlying Proterozoic Wedge River Beds. A trilobite species from within the isolated Boyd River Formation is referred to Lioparia sp. The Island Road Formation and the Boyd River Formation are stratigraphically equivalent to the Trial Ridge Beds which have previously been dated as belonging to the Lejopyge laevigata Zone. The Trial Ridge Beds are overlain unconformably by the Singing Creek Formation. In the Adamsfield, Clear Hill and Stepped Hills areas, stratigraphic equivalents of the Singing Creek Formation collectively contain the trilobites Pseudaphelaspis sp., Pseudaphelaspis? sp., Prochuangia sp., Mindycrusta sp., Nepeidae gen. et sp. indet., and Olenidae gen. et sp. indet. plus the brachiopods described herein as Billingsella sp. aff. costata, Billingsella sp. A, Billingsella sp. B and a possible member of the Billingselloidea. The Singing Creek Formation has been previously correlated with the Stigmatoa diloma Zone. The genus Lotosoides Shergold 1975 is placed in synonymy with Prochuangia Kobayashi 1935.James B. Jago* [jim.jago@unisa.edu.au] University of South Australia, School of Natural and Built Environment, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; Christopher J. Bentley [bigfossil@bigpond.com] 30 Albert Street, Clare, SA 5453, Australia; John R. Laurie [john.r.laurie@gmail.com] Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia; Keith D. Corbett [keith.corbett@bigpond.com] 35 Pillinger Drive, Fern Tree, Tas 7054, Australia.

A study of the long-term operation of capacitive deionisation in inland brackish water desalination

The long-term cleaning needs and response to different cleaning approaches of a portable capacitive deionisation (CDI) prototype unit were investigated at two Australian locations: Wilora, a remote community in the Northern Territory (NT), and Mawson Lakes, an urban area in South Australia (SA). The high levels of calcium, magnesium and silica at Wilora had a limited effect on long-term CDI operation; Wilora's groundwater had a low level of dissolved organics, causing no observed fouling. The current CDI technology proved suitable for direct application for brackish water desalination in this location. For comparison, ground water containing a higher level of dissolved organics was studied in Mawson Lakes, SA. A reduction in the salinity removal ability of the CDI cells was observed due to organic fouling. However, a relatively mild cleaning solution (0.01M citric acid for calcium and magnesium scaling and 0.01M sodium hydroxide for the organic fouling) restored the desalination capacity of the CDI unit to its initial level. This unit thus represents a viable alternative for brackish water treatment, especially in remote locations where building and operating reverse osmosis (RO) treatment plants is not practical. These findings can be used to guide on-site maintenance of CDI technology.

Framework for assessing the viability of implementing dual water reticulation systems in South Africa

In many settlements across the world (e.g. Pimpama Coomera and Mawson Lakes – Australia, Hong Kong – China, Majuro – Marshall Islands, Tarawa – Kiribati, and Windhoek – Namibia), dual water reticulation systems have been implemented in response to increasing water demands and decreasing freshwater availability. A dual water reticulation system comprises separate pipes that supply different water qualities to the end consumer. A set of pipes supply potable water while another set of pipes supply non-potable water. The non-potable water is targeted at meeting water requirements traditionally met using potable water (e.g. toilet and urinal flushing, landscaping irrigation, and industrial cooling). This therefore frees potable water to be used for previously unmet or increasing potable water requirements. For several reasons including the dearth of relevant national regulatory and guideline documents, consumer and decision-maker perceptions, ignorance, and appropriate decision-making tools, the use of dual water reticulation systems in South Africa has been limited. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a decision-making framework, using robust criteria, for assessing the viability of implementing dual systems in South Africa. This aim was achieved through undertaking literature reviews on the subject, an investigation of non-potable water consumers’ and decision-makers’ perceptions using questionnaires, and the actual development of a framework using data obtained from the literature review and questionnaires. The questionnaires were developed using seven key issues i.e. public health and safety, economics, technical feasibility, legislation/regulations and guidelines, organisational capacity, social acceptance, and public education. The various aspects of the Triple Bottom Line of sustainability (i.e. economic, environmental and social) provided structure to the framework while the Triple Bottom Line approach was utilised in the assessment of the different criteria.

The Potential of Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery, Cell Tracking, and Regenerative Medicine

1Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia 2School of Advanced Manufacturing, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China 4Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK 5Department of Min-Met-Materials Engineering & CHU de Quebec Research Center, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada

Complex network structure can affect the balance of excitation and inhibition in large directed networks of cortical neurons and synapses

Event Abstract Back to Event Complex network structure can affect the balance of excitation and inhibition in large directed networks of cortical neurons and synapses Mark D. McDonnell1* 1 University of South Australia, Institute for Telecommunications Research, Australia There are two fundamentally important aspects of brain network connectivity about which very little is known. The first is whether complex network structure is embedded in microscale neuronal networks, where nodes represent individual neurons, and edges represent synaptic connections between neurons. The second unknown is how complex network structure at the micro-scale impacts on neuronal dynamics in terms of aspects such as plasticity, synchronization, hyperexcitability and learning. These two questions are unanswered because current imaging techniques are unable to resolve the sufficiently large numbers of individual neurons, and their 1000s of synaptic connections, and these are needed to create a mathematical network model. In the absence of such information, many simulations of large cortical networks and their electrical activity assume simple random connectivity. Here we highlight how large networks of spatially embedded neurons in the cortex exhibit a unique set of features that are unparalleled in other network models beyond neuroscience. A key feature is the presence of two main classes of neurons: excitatory and inhibitory. We propose new methods that are specifically tailored for simulating and statistically characterising such networks and describe simulation results that employ these methods in order to study hypothesised “non-random” connectivity in both visual cortex area V1, and in the primary olfactory cortex. It is demonstrated that incorporation of a variety of complex structural features, such as directed clustering, can unexpectedly influence the balance of excitatory and inhibitory activity amongst the neurons in the network. In particular, we present results on networks that exhibit population oscillations due to sparse synchronization, and show that hyper-excitability (an indicator of epilepsy) that is not present in random networks can be induced when the network is instead highly clustered. Acknowledgements Mark D. McDonnell's contribution was supported by the Australian Research Council under ARC grant DP1093425 (including an Australian Research Fellowship). Keywords: Complex Network, cortical networks, population oscillations, small world network Conference: Bernstein Conference 2012, Munich, Germany, 12 Sep - 14 Sep, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Other Citation: McDonnell MD (2012). Complex network structure can affect the balance of excitation and inhibition in large directed networks of cortical neurons and synapses. Front. Comput. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Bernstein Conference 2012. doi: 10.3389/conf.fncom.2012.55.00224 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 18 Sep 2012; Published Online: 12 Sep 2012. * Correspondence: Dr. Mark D McDonnell, University of South Australia, Institute for Telecommunications Research, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5087, Australia, mark.mcdonnell@unisa.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Mark D McDonnell Google Mark D McDonnell Google Scholar Mark D McDonnell PubMed Mark D McDonnell Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The future of entertainment

Blvd., Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies show this notice on the first page or initial screen of a display along with the full citation. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, to redistribute to lists, or to use any component of this work in other works requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Permissions may be requested from Publications Dept., ACM, Inc., 2 Penn Plaza, Suite 701, New York, NY 10121-0701 USA, fax +1 (212) 869-0481, or permissions@acm.org. ©2010 ACM 1544-3574/2010/12-ART22 $10.00 DOI: 10.1145/1921141.1921142 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1921141.1921142

Universities and the cycling culture

Environmental analysis consistently shows transport as being amongst the top three contributors to a university’s ecological footprint. This paper reports on a study undertaken at the Mawson Lakes Campus of the University of South Australia into cycling as a sustainable transport option. First, the paper analyzes the campus as a text: an artifact which addresses a particular audience and is actively read and interpreted by those who travel through it. In reading the campus, we go beyond examining levels of cycling infrastructure provision to consider the way infrastructure provision constitutes and positions different travelers as (ab)normal. Second, the paper looks at different groups of cyclists on campus, why some commuted to university and others did not and the experiences of each of these groups. It is found that cyclists are largely written out of the Mawson Lakes text which challenges their legitimacy as travelers and as users of campus space. The research also found substantial differences between groups of commuter and non-commuter cyclists and this division fell along staff and student lines. We conclude by suggesting ways that this and other universities might legitimize cyclists and facilitate cycling as a mode of travel.

Special issue: Innovations in intelligent agent technology

Ajith Abraham, Dennis Jarvis, Jacquie Jarvis and Lakhmi Jain aNorwegian Center of Excellence for Quantifiable Quality of Service, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, O.S. Bragstads plass 2E, N-7491 Trondheim Norway E-mail: ajith.abraham@ieee.org bCentre for Intelligent and Networked Systems, CQ University Australia, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia E-mail: d.jarvis@cqu.edu.au; j.jarvis@cqu.edu.au cProfessor of Knowledge-Based Engineering, Founding Director of the KES Centre, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia E-mail: lakhmi.jain@unisa.edu.au

Simulation of monthly rainfall totals

The observed distribution of non-zero rainfall totals for a given month is often modelled using a maximum likelihood estimate for the Gamma distribution. In this paper we show that a Gamma distribution can be regarded as a zero order approximation to a density distribution constructed by a series of associated Laguerre polynomials. The coefficients of the series are easily calculated and used to improve the shape of the initial approximation by adjusting higher order moments. We show that this more general method models joint probability distributions for two or more months and in particular that the series model does not require an assumption of independence between months. Finally we explore how the series method generates simulated data that is statistically indistinguishable from the observed data. We illustrate our methods on a case study at Mawson Lakes and although monthly correlations may not be significant we note that the rainfall records at Koonamore Station show many significant correlations for successive months.

Establishing components of community satisfaction with recycled water use through a structural equation model

The use of recycled water is being promoted through policy in many parts of the world with the aim of achieving sustainable water management. However there are some major barriers to the success of recycled water use policies and their instruments, in particular for potable reuse schemes. One of these barriers can be a lack of community support. Despite the critical nature of community attitudes to recycled water to the success of projects, they are often little understood. Further information is required to ensure the successful implementation of recycled water policy and to ensure sustainable management of water resources is achieved. The aim of this paper is to establish the key components of community satisfaction with recycled water. This was investigated through a case study of the Mawson Lakes population in South Australia, where recycled water is used for non-potable purposes through a dual water supply system (the ‘recycled water system’). This paper reports results from a survey of 162 Mawson Lakes residents. A structural equation model (SEM) was developed and tested to explain and predict components of community satisfaction with recycled water use (for non-potable use) through the dual water supply system. Results indicate the components of satisfaction with recycled water use were an individual's positive perception of: the Water Authority's communication, trust in the Water Authority, fairness in the recycled water system's implementation, quality of the recycled water, financial value of the recycled water system, and risk associated with recycled water use (negative relationship). The results of this study have positive implications for the future management and implementation of recycled water projects in particular through dual water supply systems. The results indicate to water authorities and water policy developers guiding principles for community consultation with regards to the management of recycled water projects.

Urban Australians using recycled water for domestic non-potable use—An evaluation of the attributes price, saltiness, colour and odour using conjoint analysis

Recycled water use in urban areas is viewed as one part of the solution to Australia's water shortage. The effectiveness of policies designed to promote recycled water systems depends on the acceptance by the community of the price, colour, odour and salt content of the recycled water. In Australia and other countries, limited research has been conducted that investigates community attitudes to and willingness to pay for recycled water, especially in urban settings. Community acceptance of recycled water and the economic feasibility of such projects have not been widely evaluated, even though the long-term feasibility of many projects is dependent on such information. This paper examines the attitudes of an urban Australian community living at Mawson Lakes in South Australia, to using recycled water for non-potable domestic purposes. Conjoint analysis (CA) was used to evaluate participant's ( n = 136 ) preferences for various attributes of recycled water (colour, odour, salt content and price) for various uses (garden watering, toilet flushing and clothes washing). The analysis was used to estimate the respondent's willingness to pay (WTP) for quality increases for each of the attributes. Differences in WTP were investigated according to various demographic variables including income and education. Results indicate that for garden watering having ‘low salt levels’ is the most important attribute of recycled water, for clothes washing ‘colourless’ is the most important attribute, and for toilet flushing a ‘low price’ was the most important attribute. Respondents were willing to pay for increases in the quality of recycled water. The amount they were willing to pay varied depending on applied use and the attribute in question. Respondents were most willing to pay for an increase in quality of recycled water when used for clothes washing (willing to pay Australian dollars (A$) 0.07/cubic meter (m 3) for removal of colour, A$0.065 per cubic meter for an increase in quality of recycled water from ‘salty’ to ‘low salt,’ and A$ 0.06/m 3 for removal of odour (1A$=0.75US$ and 0.62€, August 24, 2005)). Segmentation of the price attribute by demographic sectors reveals that those in the higher income bracket, higher education sector, middle age group, and who are male, had a higher marginal valuation on price. The results of this study provide important information for recycled water retailers and water policy developers, helping achieve greater economic feasibility for future recycled water projects, to the satisfaction of the communities involved.

What attributes of recycled water make it fit for residential purposes? The Mawson Lakes experience

This paper considers an Australian community's perspective of the importance of various attributes of recycled water, including, colour, odour and salt, for various uses including, garden watering, toilet flushing and clothes washing. Results found that the importance of achieving aesthetic levels of these attributes increased as the applied use became increasingly personal. For example respondents rated the attributes of ‘no colour’ and ‘no odour’ of extreme importance for clothes washing, but they were not rated as important for toilet flushing or garden watering. Importance was placed on different attributes of recycled water quality and its delivery, depending on the specified use, with ‘low salt’ rated very important for garden watering in particular. This variation in attribute/use combinations suggests that the parameters of recycled water quality and delivery should be determined ‘fit for purpose.’ It is recommended that the parameters be established in consultation with the community involved, to determine the importance each community places on the various attributes of recycled water, for differing uses. Such an approach will ensure the quality of the recycled water will be to the community's satisfaction, providing a solid platform to successful implementation of recycled water use. Thus, the attributes of recycled water that make it fit for residential purposes vary depending on the use to which it is applied.

Some examples of water recycling in Australian urban environments: a step towards environmental sustainability

This paper discusses the concepts and results from two contrasting types of water recycling initiatives in Australia. The first type of initiative is a centralised scheme based on local authorities recycling sewage effluent and/or stormwater in urban areas. A new urban subdivision in Queensland (Springfield) is provided as an example of such a centralised scheme, with uses ranging from dual reticulation, to public space irrigation, to urban lakes. The importance of strong public consultation and partnership is stressed for scheme success. A second example of a centralised scheme is an upmarket subdivision in Adelaide, South Australia (Mawson Lakes), where stormwater and recycled effluent are designed to supply in excess of 70% of the community's total water requirement. Scheme success is highly probable because of the ready adoption of innovative water supply alternatives by South Australians. The other type of initiative operates at a household scale (Healthy Home) and demonstrates that reinventing old ideas using new technologies can allow urban households to become largely self reliant for their potable and non-potable water needs, at least in high rainfall coastal areas. However, the cost effectiveness of this self reliance will require a substantial change in the sharing of savings from deferred public infrastructure costs. We include for comparison an analysis by Coombes et al. for the Lower Hunter region which clearly demonstrates that adoption of water sensitive urban design features, such as rainwater tanks in new developments, is not only more cost effective than traditional infrastructure solutions, but also allows the deferral of new urban water supply dams by the order of decades. We conclude the paper with the observation that advances in incorporating externalities into water development economics, the "trickle down" effect of new distributed technologies, and the growing desire by urban communities to live within the capacity of their regional ecosystems will probably ensure that reforms in the urban water and wastewater cycles will pioneer the way to genuinely sustainable and liveable urban communities in the near future. In short, the Ecological Footprint of urban development will be substantially reduced.