Sydney 2000 Research Articles

Experimental and field regeneration of coastal saltmarsh within Sydney Olympic Park

During realignment of the former stormwater drain in late 1999, coastal saltmarsh beds were constructed along the upper portion of Haslams Creek (the Haslams Creek Flats precinct) within Sydney Olympic Park. While the northern flats of the Creek have had reasonable regeneration of coastal saltmarsh, regeneration on the southern flats was not as successful. Several trials had been undertaken to regenerate coastal saltmarsh on the southern flats. The attempt that yielded the best outcome was through replacement of topsoil followed by vegetation planting. This was considered an expensive approach. Prior to employing this approach in the remaining areas, an alternative approach was trialled in 2006-07. These trials yielded even better outcomes, and did not involve replacing the topsoil, but rather amelioration of the existing topsoil/sediment through incorporation of mangrove mulch. Saltmarsh plants naturally seeded on the flats and significantly higher numbers of seedlings self-germinated and continued to grow in mangrove-mulch incorporated treatments. To validate this approach a field regeneration attempt was made in 2007 in one section of the flats and successful results have been achieved. The results were so encouraging that the same approach was applied in 2008 to allow self regeneration in the remaining parts of the flats and the results are equally promising. The experimental trial provided valuable additional information. Based on the findings some useful management recommendations are suggested.

Solar-Powered Compaction Garbage Bins in Public Areas: A Preliminary Economic and Environmental Evaluation

An excel-based model was developed to evaluate economic and environmental benefits of the solar-powered compaction garbage bins in public areas in Australia. Input data were collected from Brisbane and Wollongong City councils, and Sydney Olympic Park. The results demonstrate that solar-powered compaction garbage bins would provide environmental benefits in all scenarios. However, results of the economic analysis of the three studied areas varied significantly. The unique situation of Sydney Olympic Park made implementation in that facility particularly appealing. A lower monthly rental cost is needed for the implementation of this novel waste management practice.

Simpson, His Donkey and the Rest of Us—Public pedagogies of the value of belonging

At the heart of this paper is an exploration of belonging and how this is assumed to connect with a set of values represented as national. There is a particular interest in the relationship between these values and education. Because the significance of the learning that occurs through the public domain outside educational institutions such as schools is assumed, several cultural texts are examined in order to consider public pedagogies of Australianness including iconic displays such as those associated with the Sydney Olympics and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Media reports surrounding the Cronulla riots are also examined as a means of understanding the values associated with non‐belonging. These cultural texts are considered along side curriculum and policy concerned with values education. Through an exploration of the imaginary, the argument is made that in relation to ethnic difference, an hegemonic narrative has remained at the core of how Australianness is represented, despite multicultural incursions and fears about the cultural dissipation associated with globalisation and so‐called postmodern fragmentation.

The true success of nations at recent Olympic Games: comparing actual versus expected medal success

Which nations were most ‘successful’, when accounting for their resources, at recent Olympic Games? It seems reasonable to assess this in terms of the number of medals won compared to how many nations are expected to win relative to their resources?. Data were collected for those countries competing in the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics. National statistics used were: population size, gross domestic product (GDP), the human development index (HDI) and Gini, a measure of inequality of wealth. Predictive models of medal success were generated using linear regression. Three were considered: population size, GDP and population size+HDI. Relative success was calculated as either the absolute or proportional difference in predicted versus actual medal success. The present study serves primarily to provide the ‘alternate’ medal tables derived from these calculations and incorporates concise discussion on the results to stimulate debate. These tables sometimes include nations towards the top that might not otherwise be considered to have had successful recent Olympics.

Contamination and screening level toxicity of sediments from remediated and unremediated wetlands near Sydney, Australia

The present study assessed contamination and toxicity of sediments from seven remediated and remnant wetland sites within Sydney Olympic Park, Australia, and four unremediated sites adjacent to its boundary using chemical analysis and a luminescent bacterial biosensor assay (Escherichia coli). Concentrations of metals (Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, and As) and persistent organic chemicals (DDT and its metabolites, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; polychlorinated biphenyls; and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans) in sediments and their pore-water samples were determined. Zinc concentrations were the highest of the metals in the sediments (84-618 mg/kg), and at eight sites, metal concentrations in sediments exceeded the Australian ecological trigger values for Pb, Zn, and Ni. Concentrations of organic contaminants in the sediments exceeded the trigger values at all 11 sites for DDTs, at 6 sites for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 5 sites for polychlorinated biphenyls. Sediment samples from the four unremediated sites outside the Sydney Olympic Park had dioxin concentrations greater than 200 pg (toxic equivalency per gram). The same four sites were identified as contaminated in pore-water toxicity tests with the luminescent biosensor, generally consistent with the bioavailable fractions of the contaminants (pore-water and Tenax extraction data), as well as dioxin levels, in the sediments. Preliminary toxicity identification and evaluation tests of the pore water from the four sites outside the park demonstrated that organic contaminants were the main cause of toxicity to E. coli, with no evidence that metals contributed to the toxicity of the pore water.

The importance of prior knowledge: the Australian Olympic Committee and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

This study investigates how the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) was involved in the formation of the Sports Commission (SSC) within the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) and as a critical contributor to the staging of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Using a figurational sociological framework, the intended and unintended consequences of the AOC's strategic and operational involvement are explored. The case shows how important early negotiations were in the case of the Sydney Olympics, when the host governments and Olympic Organizing Committees, in the period immediately following the winning of a bid, were inexperienced in Olympic negotiations and distracted by the euphoria of securing the Games. This left the more knowledgeable Olympic organization, the AOC, well placed to leverage its prior experience and extensive Olympic figurations, in order to gain a strategic advantage over the other Australian Olympic stakeholders. The research makes a contribution to Olympic studies, specifically in relation to the role of the host National Olympic Committee (NOC) in the organizing of an Olympic Games. Furthermore, the research findings have management implications for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and future host NOCs, particularly in relation to the structuring of Olympic Organizing Committee governance arrangements.

Experimental Control of Exotic Spiny Rush, Juncus Acutus from Sydney Olympic Park: Ii. Effects of Treatments on other Vegetation

This paper deals with saltmarsh vegetation and weeds in plots after two experimental treatments to control the Spiny Rush (Juncus acutus) were applied. One experiment was based on the physical removal of J. acutus and the other on the application of Glyphosate and salt. The physical removal experiment had four treatments and the Glyphosate-based experiment had five treatments, including a control. Each of these nine treatments had three replicate quadrats, each 2m x 2m size; hence there were 27 quadrats in total. Including the pre-experiment data, systematic observations were made on 11 occasions at varying intervals. Observations were made on mortality, coverage, re-growth and seedling growth of J. acutus, weeds and saltmarsh vegetation coverage. The results of the effects of the treatments on J. acutus have been reported previously. The presentpaper reports the effects of the treatments on saltmarsh vegetation and weeds. The results of this section of the experiments have indicated that considerable selfregeneration of saltmarsh vegetation can occur within one year after physically removing J. acutus. However, if significantly faster regeneration was required, saltmarsh transplanting could be undertaken.

Feeding the Beijing Olympics: An Interview with Jillian Wanik

The eyes of the world were on Beijing at 8 minutes past 8 p.m. on 8/8/08, as the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games commenced. Over the next 15 days, spectators and the television audience remained agog at the spectacle created by a country of more than 1 billion people. In the Athletes Village, coaches, athletes, and support staff from 200 countries were treated to the best Olympic community life yet. Many had come to Beijing with media-fueled fears of encountering steroid-laden chicken breasts and a contaminated water supply. The article in this issue by Fiona Pelly and co-authors reports on aspects of the catering for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, making recommendations for a variety of features that should be built into the nutrition services offered to athletes during the most important competition of their lives. In this Practical Sports Nutrition column, we talk to Jillian Wanik, MS, RD, Certified Nutrition Support Clinician, Certified Specialist Sports Dietitian, and lead dietitian for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Catering Services Project, about her role in feeding the champions in Beijing.

Preparation and characterisation of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) and thiourea-doped titanate nanotubes prepared from wastewater flocculated sludge

In this study, titanium (Ti), ferric (Fe) and aluminum (Al) salt flocculants were compared for their efficiency in treating wastewater collected from Sydney Olympic Park wastewater treatment plant by following the jar test procedure. Produced sludge from Ti-salt flocculation was dried and titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles were generated after the incineration of sludge produced from the Ti-salt flocculation of wastewater. Later on, titanate nanotubes were synthesized after TiO 2 nanoparticles were hydrothermally treated with 10 N NaOH solution at 130 °C for 24 h. Titanate nanotubes were either acid or deionised water-washed, while thiourea-doping was employed to produce visible light-responsive nanotubes. Wastewater flocculation using Ti-salt was found to be as efficient as Fe and Al flocculation in terms of turbidity and DOC removal. XRD results showed that the anatase structure was predominant for TiO 2 nanoparticles, while thiourea-doped titanate nanotubes only indicated anatase structure with an increased crystallinity after being crystallized at 600 °C. The photocatalytic activity of all photocatalysts was evaluated using the photooxidation of acetaldehyde. Thiourea-doped nanotubes showed a greater photocatalytic activity than as-prepared TiO 2 nanoparticles, deionised water-washed, acid-washed titanate nanotubes and P25 under UV and visible light irradiation.

Corporate Marketing Objectives and Evaluation Measures for Integrated Television Advertising and Sports Event Sponsorships

To determine how integrated TV advertising and event sponsorship should be evaluated, a theoretical framework derived from global exploratory research of academic literature and consulting reports of more than 50 authors was validated by 16 experts. To investigate how evaluation was managed in practice, 12 campaigns which had sponsored a televised event and placed advertisements during the broadcast of this event were analyzed via case studies. The investigated competitions included the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in London and the Olympic Games in Sydney. The examined brands comprised automotive, financial services, retail chain, office equipment, and consumer goods. The study identified the key techniques that lead to increased corporate sales—four objectives and necessary performance measures, which could be useful to all executives promoting brands through televised sport.

'There's No Aphrodisiac Like Newtown': The Evolving Connection to Place in the Music of the Whitlams

The Whitlams live in Newtown, Australia” is a byline that has appeared on each of the Sydney band’s albums since their beginnings in 1992. During this time the band has progressed from being on a small, independent label with a local audience to achieving national coverage and recognition, culminating with 8 ARIA award nominations in 1998. Of these they won three for Best Group, Song of the Year and Best Independent Release. Following this The Whitlams were signed to Warner Music (as it incorporated Festival Music), and have continued to make albums that still use inner city Sydney as a focus, but are pitched at a less localised audience. The Whitlams have used Sydney as a setting for major local events during this time, (the Sydney Olympics, State Government policies), but also just as a setting to express more personal issues (songs about relationships, aging). This paper will compare The Whitlams’ early releases to the music made after the band gained national attention, looking at how and why Sydney has remained a central theme, but has been expressed in different terms.

Bioactivity of POPs and their effects in mosquitofish in Sydney Olympic Park, Australia

The site of the 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney Olympic Park (SOP), Sydney, Australia) was contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) prior to remediation in the 1990s. This study investigates the bioactivity of POPs in the sediment and water of wetlands across SOP by in vitro 2,3,7,8 -TCDD equivalence (TCDDeq) measurement (H4IIE cell line bioassay). Further, it examines whether disturbance of these sediments is likely to mobilise ligands for this receptor into the water column. Exposure to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands was measured in vivo using hepatic cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) induction (EROD) in the mosquitofish ( Gambusia holbrooki). Aqueous TCDDeq ranged from 0.013 to 0.057 pM in SOP wetlands which was significantly ( p < 0.05) less that in urban reference sites. These concentrations were not correlated to physical or chemical characteristics of the wetlands. In the sediments, TCDDeq ranged from 0.0016 to 7.06 µg/kg and these were not significantly ( p ≥ 0.05) different to that measured in urban reference sites. Simulated disturbance of small quantities of sediment in water samples significantly ( p < 0.05) increased the levels of TCDDeq measured in the water. Sediment TCDDeq was correlated to sediment ΣPAH concentration in 2006 and sediment ΣPCB, ΣDDT concentrations and fine sediment grain size in 2005. While fish at one SOP wetland had hepatic EROD activity elevated above the estimated basal level for this species, these were at the lower end of the range measured in urban impacted, non-remediated wetlands. EROD activity was positively correlated with both the sediment ΣPCB load and aqueous TCDDeq. Increased catchment size was correlated with increased EROD activity suggesting an even spread of POPs throughout the residential areas of the Sydney metropolitan area. The concentration of bioactive POPs in the wetlands of SOP is therefore low relative to urban reference sites demonstrating the ongoing success of the remediation program.

Australian Elite Athlete Development: An Organisational Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to examine and map the process of Australian elite athlete development from an organisational perspective, that of 35 national sporting organisations (NSOs). Research on elite development has focused on the significance of economic and cultural factors (macro-level studies) and the role of sport science and athletes’ close environment (micro-level studies) in fostering success. In an effort to depict elite athlete development processes in a more inclusive way, this paper offers an evaluation of the ways elite athletes are nurtured from an Australian NSOs perspective adopting a meso-level approach (e.g., programs). The study is based on a document analysis examining 74 annual reports from 35 NSOs over a period of four years, before and after the Sydney Olympic Games and offers a generic framework of the Australian elite athlete development process. The resulting framework shows that various interested groups are involved with nurturing elite athletes through either initiating or implementing specially designed programs or other strategies that cultivate success, and helps broaden the definition of elite development. The implications of successful elite athlete development include increased finances and public profile for sports as well as the creation of pathways to increase interest in sport.

Ultrasound Diagnosis for Preventing Knee Injuries in Cuban High-Performance Athletes

Diagnostic evaluation of the musculoskeletal system has traditionally been based on medical history, physical examination, and x-rays (techniques that provide limited information), and more re- cently on computerized axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (both very expensive). Ultrasound, a non-invasive and less expensive method, has become an indispensable tool for diagnos- ing overuse sports injuries. The Imaging Department at the Cuban Sports Medicine Institute (abbreviated in Spanish as IMD) developed a preventive ultrasound diagnostic imaging method and has applied it for the last 15 years as part of the IMD's medical management of high-performance athletes. Objectives Identify normal ultrasound patterns for knee structures and extensor mechanism alignment, and perform ultrasound imag- ing of the knee on asymptomatic, high-performance athletes to detect alterations and endogenous predisposing factors to overuse sports injuries as a basis for adopting preventive action. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted of 300 non-athletes (control) and 100 Cuban Olympic athletes (preselected for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia). The IMD's Preven- tive Ultrasound Diagnostic Imaging Method was used to perform static and dynamic ultrasound examinations of both knees of all subjects (800 knees total) to determine normal patterns, detect structural alter- ations in the knee, and determine extensor mechanism malalignment. For the latter, Anillo's Patellofemoral Congruence Ultrasound Method was applied to determine the degree of patellar lateralization (RAB angle). Data was processed using descriptive statistics. To compare the ratio of ultrasound knee alterations detected, the Chi-square test was used. Percentiles were calculated based on data from the 600 non-athlete knees and were processed using the SPSS statistics ap- plication. Results Of the 100 athletes studied, 57 were found to have subclinical alterations in one or both knees, distributed as follows: synovitis (30), extensor mechanism malalignment (26), infrapatellar fat pad distortion (15), meniscal echostructure modification (14), ligament echostructure alteration (11), and articular cartilage alteration (7). Analysis of the control group findings established that RAB angle values greater than 13° for both sexes suggest excessive patellar lateralization with respect to the axial axis of the femur, potentially an endogenous risk factor favoring injury. Conclusions Preventive ultrasound diagnostic imaging of the knee, performed using IMD's ultrasound scanning methodology and incorpo- rating the normal ultrasound patterns described in this study, enables diagnosis of distortions in the articular and periarticular echostructure prior to the onset of clinical symptoms, as well as observation of en- dogenous predisposing factors linked to overuse sports injuries. As a result, appropriate measures can be adopted to prevent such injuries and to tailor medical management of high-performance athletes.

The Australian sport system and its stakeholders: development of cooperative relationships

The way the Australian sport system arrested its unrelenting decline in the 1970s to become a model of best practice perplexes many countries. This essay aims to give an insight into the way the system was transformed and became successful. The essay reviews the decline, and then the evolution and devolution of the system, and analyses the stakeholders involved, and the inter relationships developed to achieve success. The study is based on a document analysis examining 74 annual reports from 35 national sporting organizations over a period of four years, before and after the Sydney Olympic Games. The results of the study show that in the face of financial instability and an over-reliance on government funding, sport stakeholders sought alternative sources of income, amalgamated or worked in collaboration with other stakeholders, and/or opted for intra-organizational cooperation. The sport system in Australia has proven resilient and able to adapt to an ever-changing environment via the cooperation of its stakeholders and their willingness to work together towards a common goal.

Distribution of inorganic and organic contaminants in sediments from Sydney Olympic Park and the surrounding Sydney metropolitan area

Organic and inorganic contamination was assessed for sediments from wetlands and water bodies within the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP, remediated sites) and its surroundings (unremediated sites) and urban reference sites in the Sydney Basin. Among the seven elements analysed (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn), Zn concentrations were the highest, followed by Pb, Cu and Cr in the sediments of SOP. Significantly higher concentrations (p < 0.05) of DDTs were found in sediments of the Homebush Bay and Parramatta River sites compared with the urban reference sites, mainly due to past manufacturing of DDT in the Homebush Bay area. However, no significant differences (p > 0.05) in concentrations were found for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as DDTs between sediments from SOP and the urban reference sites. Source indicators suggest that PAHs in the sediments originated from combustion processes. Two distinct groups of dioxin profiles were observed within SOP and its surroundings. Levels of dioxins were more than 100 pg WHO-TEQ/g dry weight of sediment at five sites adjacent to the SOP boundaries. Based on the findings of the chemical profiles of the contaminants, the remediated sites in SOP can be regarded as similar to the urban reference sites within the Sydney Basin, while the adjacent unremediated sites have higher concentrations, especially of dioxins, that could still affect organisms in the aquatic environment.

An olympic legacy: Green and golden bell frog conservation at Sydney Olympic Park 1993-2006

The Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea population at Sydney Olympic Park is one of the largest populations of the species remaining in New South Wales. This endangered species was identified ...

Design of a movement corridor for the Green and Golden Bell FrogLitoria aureaat Sydney Olympic Park

In 2005 the Sydney Olympic Park Authority proposed a development involving the adaptive re-use of the Newington Armory Wharf, on the southern bank of the Parramatta River. The development site was located between areas of known habitat for the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea. The development proposal included features that might reduce the potential for L. aurea movement between these habitats, including the construction of a road to the wharf, a car park south of the wharf and the replacement of some areas of tall native grass with mown turf to create a picnic area overlooking the river.A site assessment, a review of published and unpublished literature, and an examination of data collected at Sydney Olympic Park regarding movements and colonisation of constructed habitat by L. aurea were carried out. Features that may assist the dispersal of the frog between the known habitat areas were subsequently incorporated into the development along two “habitat corridors”. These features inclu...

Impact of a Chytrid-related mortality event on a population of the Green and Golden Bell FrogLitoria aurea

Chytridiomycosis is considered a key threatening process under Commonwealth legislation. Little is known of the impact of this pathogen within wild populations. The Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea is a threatened species that is thought to be affected by this disease. Here we present an example of a chytrid related mortality event within an apparently healthy population of this species. The individuals were found to be carrying chytrid and we suggest that this was the proximal cause of mortality. Monitoring was conducted across Sydney Olympic Park between 1998 and 2005. In a small group of ponds in 1999, 23 individuals were found dead with 17 of these confirmed to have died as a result of chytrid infection within a short period of time. However, the number of frogs located within the complex remained at similar levels for the duration of the monitoring program. Management of wild populations of the Green and Golden Bell Frog should maximise the area of available habitat for this species and the c...

Gambusia control through the manipulation of water levels in Narawang Wetland, Sydney Olympic Park 2003-2005

Narawang Wetland, a precinct of Sydney Olympic Park, was constructed to provide habitat for the Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea. The Plague Minnow Gambusia holbrooki invaded Narawang following flooding soon after the wetland's completion in 2000. Narawang contains 22 habitat ponds, each attached to a water reticulation system. Predation by Gambusia has been identified as a key threatening process for the Green and Golden Bell Frog and may be a major contributor to the disappearance of many frog species in Australia. Its presence in Narawang Wetland offered a unique opportunity for investigation into its management and control. Three groups of ponds in Narawang Wetland were alternately drained in August/October each year between 2003 and 2005. Each year one pond-group was drained and left to dry for four weeks to reduce the population of Gambusia before the onset of breeding by bell frogs. Control of water levels in ponds reduced the Gambusia population. Bell frog tadpoles and metamorphs were obse...