Suchergebnisse

In January 2004, the Australian Government introduced a new federal heritage regime based around the National Heritage List (NHL). This regime has a significant governance defect; the heritage minister controls the list rather than an independent heritage body, exposing it to political manipulation. This article reviews the NHL listing process and compares it to a 'best practice' model. A case study on the Tarkine, a wilderness area in north-west Tasmania, demonstrates how the NHL has been managed and the influence political factors have had on its administration. The case study reveals that the concerns about the politicisation of the NHL are well-founded and that changes ought to be made to ensure the regime fulfils its objectives. copy; The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

The Australian Government ran a renewable energy program in the 2000s that provided rebates to householders who acquired solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. Originally called the Photovoltaic Rebate Program (PVRP), it was rebranded the Solar Homes and Communities Plan (SHCP) in November 2007. This paper evaluates both the PVRP and SHCP using measures of cost-effectiveness and fairness. It finds that the program was a major driver of a more than six-fold increase in PV generation capacity in the 2000s, albeit off a low base. In 2010, solar PV's share of the Australian electricity market was still only 0.1%. The program was also environmentally ineffective and costly, reducing emissions by 0.09MtCO2-e/yr over the life of the rebated PV systems at an average cost of between AU$238 and AU$282/tCO2-e. In addition, the data suggest there were equity issues associated with the program, with 66% of all successful applicants residing in postal areas that were rated as medium-high or high on a Socio-economic Status (SES) scale.

In January 2004, the Australian Government introduced a new federal heritage regime based around the National Heritage List (NHL). This regime has a significant governance defect; the heritage minister controls the list rather than an independent heritage body, exposing it to political manipulation. This article reviews the NHL listing process and compares it to a 'best practice' model. A case study on the Tarkine, a wilderness area in north-west Tasmania, demonstrates how the NHL has been managed and the influence political factors have had on its administration. The case study reveals that the concerns about the politicisation of the NHL are well-founded and that changes ought to be made to ensure the regime fulfils its objectives. copy; The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

The Australian Government ran a renewable energy program in the 2000s that provided rebates to householders who acquired solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. Originally called the Photovoltaic Rebate Program (PVRP), it was rebranded the Solar Homes and Communities Plan (SHCP) in November 2007. This paper evaluates both the PVRP and SHCP using measures of cost-effectiveness and fairness. It finds that the program was a major driver of a more than six-fold increase in PV generation capacity in the 2000s, albeit off a low base. In 2010, solar PV's share of the Australian electricity market was still only 0.1%. The program was also environmentally ineffective and costly, reducing emissions by 0.09MtCO2-e/yr over the life of the rebated PV systems at an average cost of between AU$238 and AU$282/tCO2-e. In addition, the data suggest there were equity issues associated with the program, with 66% of all successful applicants residing in postal areas that were rated as medium-high or high on a Socio-economic Status (SES) scale.

The spinal angles of 25 female subjects were measured in standing and in four different sitting postures with various trunk-thigh angles. Additionally, measurements of hip and lumbar mobility were made in an attempt to relate mobility to spinal curvature in the different sitting postures. Lumbar curvature was observed to decrease as the trunk-thigh angle decreased across the different sitting postures, and reduction in curvature was associated with hip mobility. An exploratory analysis of interrelationships among hip mobility, spinal mobility, and spinal curvature was also carried out. A significant correlation between lumbar and thoracic angular deviations in standing and hip flexion/extension range was obtained. The findings are discussed with reference to theories of sitting posture and the influence of hip joint mobility on postural adaptations to furniture. Further investigations, including studies of male subjects, are indicated.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) promotes considered and participatory decision-making, which can delay development and, at times, lead to projects being temporarily halted or permanently discontinued. Over the past decade, governments in a number of jurisdictions have proposed 'streamlining' reforms to eliminate perceived causes of unnecessary delays and stoppages. A target of these reforms has been environmental citizen suits (ECS): legal or merits-review proceedings initiated by private parties to uphold public environmental rights or interests for predominantly public purposes in order to generate public environmental benefits. This article reports the results of an empirical analysis of delays and stoppages attributable to ECSs in the NSW Land & Environment Court over the period 2008 to 2015. Key findings include: 109 finalised ECSs were identified over the period; 33 of the determined ECSs were successful (broadly defined); in 27 of the 33 successful ECSs, the activity that was the subject of the proceedings was subsequently approved or otherwise allowed to proceed; and the median major project delay caused by ECSs was 4.4 months. The results suggest the claims ECSs significantly hinder economic growth by delaying and stopping development are largely baseless. ECSs were relatively uncommon, rarely stopped development, and rarely caused major project delay