Industry News

Losing even just a few plant species in diverse ecosystems could in the long term reduce biomass production and impair ecosystem sustainability say the authors of a new study published in the international journal, Science.

The research, conducted by Professor Peter Reich - jointly affiliated with the University of Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment and the University of Minnesota - and a team of international collaborators, found that each plant species plays a role in maintaining a productive ecosystem, especially when a long time horizon is considered.

The study examined how the effect of diversity on the productivity of plants changed over the long term in two large independent field experiments at the University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in the USA – where Professor Reich and colleagues are conducting the world’s two longest-running biodiversity experiments.

The field site has plots with one, four, nine, or 16 different species of plants.  The researchers found every additional species in a plot contributed to a gradual increase in both soil fertility and biomass production over a 14-year period.

Lead author on the study, and Foundation Director of the Hawkesbury Institute, Professor Peter Reich says the latest findings highlight the importance of managing for diversity in grasslands, forests, and crops.

“Prior shorter-term studies, most about two years long, found that diversity increased productivity, but having more than six or eight species in a plot gave no additional benefit,” says Professor Reich, who is also a professor in the Forest Resources Department at the University of Minnesota.

“But we found that over a 14-year time span, all 16 species in our most diverse plots contributed more and more each year to higher soil fertility and biomass production. The take-home message is that when we reduce diversity in the landscape - think of a cornfield or a pine plantation or a suburban lawn - we are failing to capitalize on the valuable natural services that biodiversity provides.”

The research was done using long-lived North American prairie plants, but serves as a model system for all vegetation, whether prairie, forest, or row crop.  It also showed how diversity works by demonstrating that different species have different ways to acquire water, nutrients and carbon and maintain them in the ecosystem.

Lupus patients show more severe symptoms of the disease if their vitamin D levels are low, an Australian-first study has found.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects more than five million people worldwide, was found to be worse in vitamin D deficient SLE patients than in those with normal levels, in the study led by Professor Eric Morand, head of the Monash Lupus Clinic and Southern Clinical School at Monash Medical Centre.

The research also observed that Australians are more susceptible to the disease due to environmental, genetic and cultural factors, which contribute to vitamin D deficiency.

Professor Morand said although practicing sun avoidance is important for lupus patients, as sunlight can make aspects of the disease worse, this can lead to vitamin D deficiency and an increase in the severity of the disease.

“In multicultural Australia, instances of vitamin D deficiency can be seen in cultural groups where clothing covers the body, in people with dark skin tone who have lower absorption, and those who practice sun avoidance” Professor Morand said.

The findings will be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association in Canberra.

The research involved five years of clinical data and blood sample collection from the Monash Lupus Clinic at Monash Medical Centre, the only lupus-dedicated clinic in Australia.

A new autism research centre has been launched at Griffith University’s Mt Gravatt campus.

The first of its kind in Australia, the Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) is a partnership between Griffith University and industry partners including AEIOU Foundation and the State and Federal Governments.

Griffith Chair in Autism, Professor Jacqueline Roberts said more than 350 Queensland children were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) each year.

"ASDs are lifelong conditions that affect every part of a person's life from how they play and work to how they learn and interact with people," Professor Roberts said.

"ACE brings together researchers, educators and professionals to help address key issues facing those with ASDs and families.

"The main focus of the centre will be the transition of learners with ASDs across the lifespan, from home into schooling through to further education and employment."

The centre will prepare the next generation of educators and enhance the skills of current educators and professionals.

Key research includes transitions for learners with ASDs, social learning and relationships, and cross-cultural and Indigenous perceptions and experiences.

As well as research, the centre includes the development of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

"Our vision is to bridge gaps in the knowledge bases of ASDs and raise greater awareness of the importance of an education-centric focus for ASDs research and practice," Professor Roberts said.

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has praised the Federal Government’s 2012-13 Budget, saying that its initiatives ensure the continuation of hundreds of millions of dollars in vital local government infrastructure.

“Last year, ALGA launched a national campaign to secure ongoing federal funding to assist councils to maintain local roads and address an estimated shortfall of $1.2 billion in their investment.  I am pleased to say that the Australian Government has listened to local government’s concerns and extended the program until 2019,” ALGA Vice President Felecity-Ann Lewis said.

“Local communities across the country will benefit from the Government’s commitment to provide $350 million a year for five years from 2014 to 2019 under the R2R program, ensuring the maintenance of our local roads, which make up more than 80 per cent of our national road system.”

The Government has announced $60 million in black spot funding over five years, as well as $20 million over seven years from 2012-13 onwards.

Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) to local governments will also be maintained in real terms, with the Government deciding to bring forward the first two quarterly payments of the 2012-13 FAGs into 2011-12. 

The Federal Government has delivered on its promise to bring the Budget back to black, delivering a $1.5 billion surplus.

The Government delivered its first surplus in the last four years, with the key announcements as follows:

• $3.2 billion over five years for aged care, including initiatives including measures to double home care assistance and improve pay and conditions of aged care workers
• $3.56 billion injection into the Nation Building Program, which, if matched by the NSW Government, could see the completion of the full duplication of the Pacific Highway by the end of 2016.
• $475 million for 76 key health infrastructure projects
• $1.1 billion over the next four years to assist people who receive income support allowance payments better manage unexpected cost of living expenses.
• $1 billion in spending over four years to start the roll out of the first stage of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
• $1.72 billion for the 2012-13 year for science and innovation, with an additional $126 million for research in universities
• 54 million package to improve standards of science and maths teaching in Australian schools.
•  $40 million in spending over four years to soften the blow of the newly unemployed and assist in making the most of savings while looking for a new job or studying.
• Changes to the eligibility for Family Tax Benefit Part A to help target family payments
• $350 million in funding to assist irrigation infrastructure reform in the Murray Darling Basin, sourced from existing funds.

Cuts announced were:

• Scrapping the 1 per cent company tax to help fund the Government’s $3.6 billion package for low and middle income families and small businesses
• An estimated $5 billion to be cut from Defence.

The Budget papers are available here.

The Federal Government will collect an additional $698 million over four years by increasing the Road User Charge, collected by the Commonwealth from fuel which is used by registered vehicles with a gross mass of greater than 4.5 tonnes operating on a public road for business purposes.

From 1 July 2012 the Road User Charge will increase from 23.1 to 25.5 cents per litre. This will reduce the fuel tax credit paid by the Commonwealth to eligible heavy vehicle operators.

The change to the Road User Charge was recommended by the National Transport Commission (NTC) and agreed by the Commonwealth and State and Territory Transport Ministers.

The NTC is responsible for conducting an annual assessment of these charges to ensure they remain in line with heavy vehicle share of road use. The increase in the rate is contingent on implementation of a revised Road User Charge Determination to be made under the Fuel Tax Act 2006.

The Government has targeted three areas for savings in water management programs.

It will reduce departmental funding by $61.2 million over two years (including $39.0 million in 2016-17) for the Driving Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin program.

The remaining program funding of $234.2 million over five years from 2012-13 will enable the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities to continue delivery of the governance and operational reforms for the integrated management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Funding for the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan will be reduced by by $25.7 million in 2011-12 by funding fewer projects.

The remaining program funding of $201.9 million over four years from 2012-13 will continue to be available for desalination, recycling and stormwater harvesting projects.

A further $16.5 million in savings in 2011-12 will be obtained from the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns, including $10.0 million in payments to the states. Funding will no longer be provided for a number of urban water projects where proponents have not met the conditions of their funding agreements or due diligence requirements.

The remaining program funding of $96.0 million over four years from 2012-13 will remain available for projects that reduce water losses in cities and towns nationally with populations of less than 50,000.

The Government will provide $12.5 million over four years from 2013‑14 (including $3.1 million in 2016‑17) to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to assist its research vision of 'Resilient Coral Reefs Successfully Adapting to Climate Change'. The contribution will be directed towards research to protect and preserve the Great Barrier Reef, in particular in response to climate change.

A further $8.0 million over two years will be provided from the Caring for our Country program to supplement the base funding of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. This includes funding for the continuation of the community‑based Reef Guardian initiative and support systems for research and on‑ground management.

The Australian Government will provide $37.8 million over four years to implement reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act).

The main elements of the reforms include: improving the environmental impact assessment process; moving towards landscape‑based environmental protection approaches; improving the process for identifying and managing species and environments under threat; simplifying the listing process for national and Commonwealth heritage and improving protection of Indigenous heritage; and strengthening the arrangements for the five‑yearly State of the Environment Report.

This measure includes capital funding of $5.5 million to develop and implement an integrated information technology system to support administration of the Act.

The cost of the reforms will be offset through enhanced cost recovery arrangements from December 2012, including their extension to environmental impact assessments. These changes are estimated to increase revenue by $38.1 million over four years.

The cost of this measure will also be partially met from the existing resourcing of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

This measure delivers on the Government's response to the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The Federal Government will provide $5.0 million over four years to progress further work on the reform of Australia's energy markets, including:

• commissioning the Productivity Commission to examine the use of benchmarking as a means of achieving the efficient delivery of network services and electricity infrastructure and to assess whether the current regulatory framework is delivering efficient levels of transmission interconnection to support the operation of the National Electricity Market;
• bringing forward the scheduled review of the current limited merits review appeal process for network cost determinations, to help ensure it is delivering effective outcomes that are fair for both consumers and network businesses;
• conducting a scoping study on the establishment of an energy information hub to improve energy information disclosure by retailers and distributors in order to help consumers to better understand and manage their energy use; and
• continuing the reform agenda of the Standing Council on Energy and Resources to assist in mitigating electricity price pressures.

The Australian  Government has withdrawn funding of $10.9 million over four years from 2011‑12 from the Sustainable Australia — promoting regional living program, which was announced in the 2011‑12 Budget.

The funding was originally planned to support non‑capital cities to conduct targeted marketing strategies to promote the benefits and opportunities of living and working in regional cities.

The Government will provide $6.1 million of new funding, with a further $0.8 million in‑kind contribution from the CSIRO, over three years towards a $10.0 million strategy to realise the potential of new irrigated agriculture in North Queensland.

The strategy will build on the existing Northern Australia Sustainable Futures program. The funding includes:

• $6.8 million to conduct an assessment of the feasibility of developing surface water resources in the Flinders and Gilbert River catchments in North Queensland, and identify new irrigated agriculture techniques; and
• $0.1 million to jointly fund a study of the viability of establishing a meat processing facility in North Queensland, with a further $0.1 million from the Queensland Government.

The Queensland Government will contribute $3.0 million to undertake on‑farm demonstration projects and systems analysis to develop practical farming approaches.

The strategy was announced in  December last year.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide are hoping to better understand why the mutated genes for breast and ovarian cancer are not passed on more frequently from one generation of women to the next.

That's despite a documented link between breast cancer genes and increased fertility in women.

Dr Jack da Silva from the University's School of Molecular & Biomedical Science says that because women who carry breast cancer genes are more fertile, in theory they have a greater chance of passing these genes on to future generations.

"A recent study in the United States found that mutations in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 were directly linked with a 50% increase in the fertility of women, which is a huge number," Dr da Silva says.

"With such an increased fertility rate, you would expect to see a high frequency of these cancer-causing genes in modern populations, but in fact that is not the case - the frequencies are relatively low."

In a paper being published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, he argues that the so-called "grandmother effect" may in part be the reason behind this phenomenon.

"In an earlier study, researchers found that post-menopausal women create a 'grandmother effect' - that is, the longer they live, the more they are able to support their daughters and their grandchildren, thereby creating an environment in which more grandchildren are born,” says Dr da Silva.

Funding for the International Education and Training Program has been cut by $10 million over four years in the Australian Governments 2012-13 Budget.

The International Education and Training Program provides approximately $55 million per annum for the provision of scholarships, fellowships and exchange opportunities for international and Australian students.

Funding for the participation component of the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) has been cut by $68.2 million over four years from 1 January 2013. As a result, the average annual funding rate per student will fall from $1,800 to $1,400 in 2012.

The Government will also increase the funding available through the partnership component of the HEPPP by $50.0 million over four years. This measure will provide savings of $18.2 million over four years.

The HEPPP is comprised of participation and partnership components.

The participation component provides reward funding to universities based on their share of domestic students from low socio‑economic status (SES) backgrounds.

The partnership component provides funding to universities to develop partnerships and outreach activities with various stakeholders that build the capacity of people from low SES backgrounds participating in higher education.

The additional partnership funding will enable more intensive support to be provided for disadvantaged students, including Indigenous students. The reduction to the participation component is consistent with the findings of the Higher Education Base Funding Review.

The Federal Government has announced $40 million in spending over four years to soften the blow of the newly unemployed and assist in making the most of savings while looking for a new job or studying.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, today announced that from 1 July 2013, applicants can have up to double the amount in liquid assets before being subject to the waiting period to receive Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Youth Allowance or Austudy.

The new thresholds will be set at $5000 for a single person (with no dependent children) and $10 000 for a person who is partnered or has a dependent child.

“Unemployment is not something people plan for and reducing that person’s modest savings while they look for more work can put undue financial pressure on them,” Mr Shorten said.

“Previously, new claimants of Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Youth Allowance or Austudy who were single and had more than $2500 cash in the bank could be required to wait for up to 13 weeks before receiving assistance, and partnered people or parents had to wait for up to 13 weeks if they had more than $5000 cash.

“Around 21 000 people - 14 000 single and 7000 partnered or with dependent children - each year will begin receiving payment up to five weeks earlier under this measure.”

Funding of $4.8 million over four years has been provided through the Federal Budget  to support adult education providers and community organisations to expand the delivery of educational and training courses tailored to the needs of senior Australians (aged 60 and above).

It is anticipated that grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 will be awarded annually, expanding educational opportunities for senior Australians with a focus on community engagement and skills development.

This measure forms part of the Government's response to the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians.

The Federal Government ahs announced it will spend $1.1 billion over the next four years to assist people who receive income support allowance payments better manage unexpected cost of living expenses.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, today announced that from March 2013 allowance recipients would receive a tax-free, twice-yearly Supplementary Allowance.

“Many Australian households are feeling the pressure on their household budgets and families receiving Government allowances are some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Mr Shorten said.

“Some recipients of allowances can find it hard to manage unexpected costs, such as urgent repairs on the family car or appliances, bills that are higher than expected, or unforeseeable medical or dental costs.

Senator Evans said the $210 a year for a single person ($105 per instalment) and $175 for a person who is a member of a couple ($87.50 per instalment) would be indexed twice yearly by the Consumer Price Index to keep pace with inflation, would not be means tested and is tax-free.

“The Supplementary Allowance will help over one million allowance recipients each year to help them prepare better for unexpected costs,” Senator Evans said.

“Combined with doubling the Liquid Assets Waiting Period thresholds, this measure will help both new and long-term income support recipients to manage, and to be more resilient to, unanticipated expenses.”

The Federal Government has moved to allay growing fears of the cost of the introduction of its carbon tax initiative, with Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet saying the effects on families will be modest.

“Treasury modelling shows that the introduction of a $23 carbon price will only have a 0.7 per cent impact on the CPI. Tax cuts and increases in pensions, allowances and family payments will assist almost six million households to meet their average price impact,” Mr Combet said.

Mr Combet said the tax will see over four million households benefit from an extra buffer with assistance that covers 120 per cent of the expected household impact of the tax.

The Federal Government also announced a suite of Budget initiatives regarding the tax, including:

• $2.8 million in additional funding for a range of building energy efficiency activities, including maintenance and improvement of current building rating tools, information programs and regulatory schemes.
• $37.1 million in funding over four years to introduce a nationally-consistent legislative framework to regulate the energy efficiency of equipment and appliances.
• $3.0 million in funding in 2012-13 to support the development of climate change adaptation policy and risk analysis. Further funding will be determined based on the recommendations of the Productivity Commission’s report on adaptation due later this year.
• The Tax Breaks for Green Buildings Program will no longer proceed with a saving of $405.2 million over the forward estimates.

The Australian  Government has announced it will broaden the eligibility of the More Help for Mature Age Workers (MHMAW) program and make changes to the payment structure to help address current levels of unmet demand.

The current MHMAW program supports the recognition of qualifications for mature age workers (aged 50 years and above) at the Certificate III level or above who have trade relevant skills but no formal qualification. It does this by reimbursing employers up to $2,000 for a skills assessment and $2,000 for training costs.

The new Budget measure expands the MHMAW program to include mature age workers from non‑trade occupations across all sectors of the economy, such as child care and business. Reimbursements to employers will also be restructured with employers eligible to claim $3,000 for the costs of the skills assessment and a further $1,000 upon completion of the gap training by the mature age worker.

To reflect these changes, the MHMAW program will be renamed the Investing in Experience — Skills Recognition and Training program. The cost of the measure will be met from within the existing resourcing of the MHMAW program.

This measure forms part of the Government's response to the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians.

The Budget has also abolished the 'Experience+ Training', 'On‑the‑Job Support' and 'Job Transition Support' programs, with a saving of $16.4 million over two years,  as the training and support currently delivered by these programs will now be supported by the Investing in Experience — skills recognition and training program.

Mature age workers who are currently receiving assistance from 'On‑the‑Job Support' and 'Job Transition Support' programs will continue to receive such assistance until they find a job or exit from the program. Employers approved for grants under the 'Experience+ Training' program would also have their grants processed under the original terms of their application.

In another initiative, the Government will provide $25.7 million over four years to assist mature age job seekers aged 55 years and over who are unemployed and would like help to re‑enter the workforce.

Under this measure, approximately 6,700 mature age job seekers on Stream 1, Stream 1 (limited), Stream 2 and Stream 3 of the Job Services Australia program in particular regions or industries, as prioritised by the Government, will receive a 'silver service' for intensive job preparations. This service includes a review of the person's skills and training needs, undertaking IT training including use of social media to support job search, career counselling, financial planning support, and support for resume preparation, interview skills and job search techniques.

This measure also includes incentives of up to $500 per job seeker for items associated with job preparation, for example internet connection or other IT‑related hardware.