In this issue:
The Threat to International Higher Education;
The Seven Habits of Carbon Effective Organisations;
Road Trauma is Breaking the Nation;
Schools and Cyberbullying; and
The Threat to International Higher Education
The higher education sector in Australia has come to rely heavily on international students. The fees paid by these students have plugged the gap opened up by the long-term decline in public expenditure. But as John Phillimore and Paul Koshy point out in this article, international students are turning away from Australia. And the effects will be felt far beyond the education sector.
Carbon Tax or Emissions Trading? Competitiveness in a Carbon Constrained World, or The Seven Habits of Carbon Effective Organisations
The public policy debate about climate change in Australia keeps shifting with the new Prime Minister now suggesting that a carbon tax might be the best approach to take. In this article, Professor Andrew Griffiths and Dr Paul Dargusch look beyond the legislative horizon to bring to light the innovative shifts already taking place.
Road Trauma is Breaking the Nation
The nation’s love affair with the private motor vehicle is still in full swing as petrol prices have stabilized and governments continue to invest heavily in road infrastructure. But public transport patronage has increased as well, wherever it has been made readily accessible. And, as Robert Dow argues, it simply makes so much more sense, in terms of economics, public safety and community-building.
Schools and Cyberbullying
Social interaction is extended, modified and sometimes intensified in all kinds of ways by modern technologies such as the mobile phone and the internet. Unfortunately, bullying is no exception. In this article, Marilyn Campbell reflects on the phenomenon of cyberbullying and how this problem might be tackled.
What If There Was No News?
There is no shortage of news nowadays. If you don’t have a TV, radio, computer or newspaper nearby, you can always get updates on your mobile phone. You don’t even need to subscribe to pay TV anymore to have access to channels devoted 24 hours a day to news. Martin Leet wonders what it would be like if there was no news?
Bus frequencies have been consistently increased over the past few years, with great results for patronage.
Rail frequency has changed marginally, with one or two extra services being added every six months or so, and mainly on the Caboolture – Ipswich line. Every new service is preceded by overcrowding and demands by Mr Dow and his Rail-Back on Track group – like squeezing blood from a stone.
What’s the matter with CityTrain? We know that old and obscure work practices remain in force. We know that attempts to recruit women train crew have been met with passive resistance from unreconstructed crew, and many of those who trained and began service have resigned, while few women from within QR have even put their hands up, knowing the culture. Does this resistance extend to negotiations about major changes to timetabling and rostering?
Now that CityTrain is part of the new ‘customer service’ oriented Govt-owned QR, the challenge facing Mr Scurrah, the CEO who does not have an old-fashioned railway background, is to bring service standards and flexibility up to and beyond that of the bus services that have responded to the challenge of rising demand and expectations. No more “can’t be done” responses to Translink requests for change!
Wonderful ..thanks a lot for posting a good informitive blog