msi annual activity report 2010

7/22/2019 MSI Annual Activity Report 2010

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centre for water sensitive cities
http://www.monash.edu/research/sustainability-institute/


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Monash Sustainability Institute 2011

Edited by Tahl Kestin and Dave GriggsAdditional images by Dave Griggs, Paul McShane, Simon Rowntree, Philip Wallis, Monash University and NASA

Copies o this report can be downloaded rom the MSI Publications web page:www.monash.edu/research/sustainability-institute/publications.html

Contents
http://www.monash.edu/research/sustainability-institute/publications.htmlhttp://www.monash.edu/research/sustainability-institute/publications.html


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Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) Annual Activity Report 2010 1

From the Chair ...................................................................................................................................................3

From the Director ..............................................................................................................................................3

Our Year at a Glance .........................................................................................................................................4

About Us .............................................................................................................................................................6

Mission and Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................................7

Our Approach ......................................................................................................................................................................................8

Structure and Activities ........................................................................................................................................................................8

Core Sta ..........................................................................................................................................................................................10

Looking to 2011 ................................................................................................................................................................................11

Research ..........................................................................................................................................................12

Centre or Water Sensitive Cities ........................................................................................................................................................13

Uniwater ............................................................................................................................................................................................16

Natural Resource Management in Asia in Response to Climate Change ............................................................................................18

Australian Bushre Arson Prevention Initiative ....................................................................................................................................20

Climate Change, Biodiversity and Health Program .............................................................................................................................22

The Interace between Social and Environmental Sustainability ..........................................................................................................23

Sustainable Cities Program ................................................................................................................................................................24

Behaviour Change Initiative ................................................................................................................................................................25

Monash University Soil Carbon Initiative .............................................................................................................................................25

Developing Victorias Geothermal Energy Resource ...........................................................................................................................26

Energy Theme Activities .....................................................................................................................................................................26

Learning rom Indigenous Natural Resources Management in the Barmah-Millewa ............................................................................27

Education .........................................................................................................................................................28

Green Steps ......................................................................................................................................................................................29

Sustainability Training and Education Consultancies ..........................................................................................................................31

Monash Teaching ..............................................................................................................................................................................32

MSI Postgraduate Unit ......................................................................................................................................................................33

Action ...............................................................................................................................................................34

ClimateWorks Australia ......................................................................................................................................................................35

Sustainable Campus Group ...............................................................................................................................................................38

ResourceSmart Tertiary Education .....................................................................................................................................................39

Monash University Annual Report ......................................................................................................................................................39

Engagement and Outreach .............................................................................................................................40

MSI Seminar Series ...........................................................................................................................................................................41

Policy Advice .....................................................................................................................................................................................42

Presentations ....................................................................................................................................................................................42

Representation ..................................................................................................................................................................................46

Awards and Fellowships ....................................................................................................................................................................47

Publications .......................................................................................................................................................................................47

Grants and Philanthropic Support .................................................................................................................50


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2 Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) Annual Activity Report 2010

Welcome


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From the Chair

When I was Victorias Minister orEnvironment and Water, I was otenrustrated by how hard it was to accesstop quality research to help inormgovernment decisions. Many o thesustainability issues governments (andbusinesses and communities) aceare complex and I am sure that betterdecisions could be made i relevant

research and knowledge were moreaccessible. Unortunately, in Australia, theworlds o academia and government are

too oten too ar apart.

One o the key roles o the MonashSustainability Institute (MSI) is to orm abridge between good research and policy.We aim to bring together researchersrom a range o disciplines to work ondicult sustainability challenges, and toprovide research and knowledge thatgovernment and the wider communitycan use. In this way we hope that we canmake a real contribution to achieving amore sustainable society.

I am very pleased that this year we can

point to a number o practical initiativeswhere MSI is making a dierence,bringing together researchers romMonash University with other researchinstitutions, government and business.

As well as our research role, MSI seeksto promote sustainability education andaction both at Monash University andin the wider community. In 2010 our

Green Steps program, which providespractical environmental skills or studentsand or the workplace, won numerous

awards including the Victorian PremiersSustainability Award. ClimateWorksAustralia, a joint venture between MSI andThe Myer Foundation, released its LowCarbon Growth Plan or Australia whichdemonstrated how Australia could reducecarbon emissions by 25 per cent by 2020at an aordable cost. The Low CarbonGrowth Plan is already being used ingovernment and industry and received theEureka Award or Innovative Solutions toClimate Change.

MSIs core sta-members are verycommitted and hard working and Ithank and congratulate them or such asuccessul year. But we also draw uponthe much wider Monash community whoare concerned about the need or usto create a more sustainable world andare prepared to invest their considerableintellectual skills in achieving it.

Professor John Thwaites

Universities have a critical role in solvingthe pressing sustainability challengesthat conront our global society, through

research as well as education o currentand uture generations. But given thecomplexity and integrated nature o thesereal-world challenges, and to make a real

dierence, universities have to go beyondtheir traditional way o operating andoster cross-disciplinary approaches andclose partnerships with policy makers,industry and the community.

MSI, which was established in 2006, is

charged with realising and maximisingMonash Universitys contribution to thisendeavour. At MSI we work to push theissue o sustainability up the research andeducation agendas, initiate and osterprojects and collaborations across theUniversitys aculties and departments,and establish strong links with externalstakeholders. It hasnt always been easy.As university sustainability institutesaround the world have ound, workingacross departments and outsidetraditional academic structures meansovercoming many barriers.

So I am particularly pleased to presentMSIs rst Annual Activity Report, whichshows just how much MSI has beenable to achieve over the past year or

so. It summarises the wide range oactivities we carry out and the benetsthat we bring to Monash and to the wideraspiration o achieving a sustainableuture. This is in addition to the equallyimportant work we do that is intangible orcant be measured the connections we

make between people, the conversationswe start, the people we inspire, and thecompanies we help transorm.

The achievements we have had are atestament to MSI sta members, whohave worked tirelessly to develop theorganisation to where we are now; tothe strong support we have receivedrom all parts o the University; and toour partners, supporters and undersoutside Monash. I would like to thankeveryone who has been involved with MSIin some way over the last ew years andlook orward to continued and expandedcollaborations in 2011.

Professor Dave Griggs

From the Director


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Our Year at a Glance

In 2010 the Monash Sustainability Institute(MSI) saw a dramatic growth in itsactivities, sta, unding and partnerships,and received national recognition orthe quality o its innovative approaches.

These were rewards or MSIs sustainedeort since its establishment in 2006to develop high-quality collaborativeresearch, education, and action initiativesthat connect Monash with the wider

community and deliver solutions tokey climate change and sustainabilitychallenges. Here are some highlights romMSIs work in 2010.

Establishment o the Centre or Water Sensitive Cities

The Centre or Water Sensitive Cities, established under the auspices oMSI, consolidates and expands Monashs signicant expertise in researchand development or advancing water sensitive cities. It brings together over60 researchers and PhD students rom the aculties o Arts, Engineering,

Science and Business and Economics, as well as many partners rom industryand government. The Centre, and its $20 million ve-year fagship researchprogram, Cities as Water Supply Catchments, were launched on 1 February2010 by The Hon. Tim Holding, then Victorian Minister or Water. In December2010 the Centre released blueprint2011, the rst version o a living documenton realisation o water sensitive cities through innovative management o urbanstormwater.

Publication o the Low Carbon Growth

Plan or Australia

ClimateWorks Australia, a non-prot collaboration between Monashand The Myer Foundation based at MSI, launched its Low CarbonGrowth Plan or Australia in March 2010. The Plan sets out a cost curveand roadmap or how Australia can achieve a 25 per cent reductionin greenhouse gas emissions rom 2000 levels using least-costcommercially available technologies. The Plan has been widely citedby business groups and government reports, including in the PrimeMinisters Energy Eciency Task Group Report. The Plan won the highlyregarded Eureka Prize or Innovative Solutions to Climate Change andthe Ethical Investor Award or Sustainability Research.

Rewards and recognition or MSI programs and sta

In addition to ClimateWorks Australia and its Low Carbon Growth Plan several otherMSI programs and sta received recognition in 2010:

HavingwontheBanksiaEnvironmentalAward(EducationCategory)in2009theGreen Steps sustainability education and internship program continued its prize-winning streak with three awards in 2010: the Victorian Premiers SustainabilityAward (Tertiary Category), the United Nations Association o Australia WorldEnvironment Day Award (Education Category), and the Australasian CampusesTowards Sustainability Green Gown Award (Student Campaigns and Initiatives).

TheSustainableCampusGroupreceivedahighlycommendedcitationintheAustralasian Campuses Towards Sustainability Green Gown Awards (ContinuousImprovement Institutional Change Category).

ProfessorTonyWong,aDirectoroftheCentreforWaterSensitiveCities,wasnamed the Sir John Holland Civil Engineer o the Year.

Victorian Minister or Water, The Hon. Tim Holding,

launching the Centre or Water Sensitive Cities and

the Cities as Water Supply Catchments Program

on 1 February 2010 (photo: Stacey Sawchuk).

The launch o the Low Carbon Growth Plan in Melbourne

(photo: Nishan Saparamadu).

Mark Boulet receiving the Victorian Premiers

Sustainability Award on behal o Green

Steps (photo: J Thomas).


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ProfessorRebekahBrown,aDirectoroftheCentreforWaterSensitive Cities, was named in the prestigious WME Leaders List2010 in the category o Urban and Industrial Water.

AnnaSkarbek,ExecutiveDirectorofClimateWorksAustralia,was

awarded the 2010 Future Summit Leadership Award by the AustralianDavos Connection (ADC).

DrPhilipWallis,aresearchfellowwithUniwater,wasawardedaPeterCullen Water and Environment Trust Fellowship.

National and international

multidisciplinary research events

MSI organised several high-prole events during 2010 that broughttogether researchers and other stakeholders to discuss solutions tosustainability-related issues:

SymposiumAdvancingBushreArsonPreventioninAustralia,Melbourne, 2526 March 2010: This multidisciplinary symposium,held in partnership with the Australian Institute o Criminology,brought together over 110 participants rom emergency services,criminal justice, mental health, community groups, the commercialsector, ederal and state government, and academia to discusssolutions to bushre arson. It was opened by The Hon. RobertMcClelland, MP, Attorney-General or Australia.

AustralianLeadershipAwardsFellowship(AusAID)Forum,Melbourne, 59 July 2010: This orum, held as part o an MSI-hosted six-week visit by 14 academics rom India and Bangladesh,discussed the development o an integrated multidisciplinaryapproach to regional climate change adaptation and mitigation.The orum dinner was hosted by Monash Vice-ChancellorProessor Ed Byrne, with guest o honour the Consul-Generalo India, Anita Nayar.

WaterGovernanceResearchInitiativeNationalWorkshop,Canberra, 1516 November 2010: Held as part o theactivities o the MSI co-hosted initiative or the National ClimateChange Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), the workshopbrought together over 50 researchers and policy practitionersto explore the needs and priorities o water governance researchin Australia.

Funding success

DrPaulMcShanesecuredanadditional$800,000ofAusAID unding in 2010 to support Monash and MSI workon natural resource management in Asia in response toclimate change.

EPAVictoria,SustainabilityVictoriaandtheShannonCompany have committed over $700,000 to MSI over thenext three years to establish a Behaviour Change Initiative.

TheCentreforWaterSensitiveCitiessecuredalmost$20million rom 21 industry partners to support its fagshipprogram, Cities as Water Supply Catchments, over veyears.

ProfessorKerryPratt,MSIsEnergyThemeLeader,coordinated a successul Monash/HRL application or a

Brown Coal Innovation Australia (BCIA) Research LeaderProessorial Fellowship, worth $1 million over ve years andbased in the Faculty o Engineering.

Anna Skarbek receiving the ADC Australian Leadership Award

(photo: Australian Leadership Award 2010 ADC Forum).

The Hon. Robert McClelland giving the opening address at the

symposium on Advancing Bushre Arson Prevention in Australia

(photo: Monash University).

Proessor Marika Vicziany, Melissa Byrne, Proessor Ed Byrne,

Consul-General Anita Nayar, Sally McShane and Dr Paul McShane

at the ALAF Forum dinner (photo: Martin Philbey).


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About Us



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MSI harnesses and builds the extensiveand varied expertise in sustainabilityacross the University to address andinfuence responses to real-worldsustainability challenges. It promotes andundertakes innovative, multidisciplinaryand high-quality collaborative research,education and action on sustainability,and it links researchers, government,business and community organisations,both in Australia and internationally.

MSI began its lie in 1999 as the MonashEnvironment Institute (MEI), which was

based in the School o Geography andEnvironmental Science in the Faculty oArts. Among its many accomplishments,MEI set up the Future EnvironmentalLeaders program (now the independentCentre or Sustainability Leadership) andGreen Steps (with the Monash StudentAssociation).

In 2006 the University re-established MEIas the Monash Sustainability Institute andmoved it outside the aculty structure intothe Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)portolio. This change improved MSIsability to work with and across Monashaculties and to develop stronger linksoutside the university.

MSI started as a handul o core staworking on a small number o projects.It now has about 30 core sta memberswho collaborate with dozens o projectpartners rom every aculty within theUniversity as well as outside it. In additionto its own project activities it hoststhree ully fedged multi-disciplinaryorganisations ClimateWorks Australia,the Centre or Water Sensitive Citiesand Uniwater that ocus on specicaspects o sustainability. And althoughthe University provides MSI with a grantto support some core sta, most o MSIsactivities and sta are now supportedthrough external project unding.

MSIs inaugural Annual ActivityReport explains MSIs approach to

delivering solutions to the challenges osustainability, and documents the widerange o activities it has undertakentowards this goal in 2010.

Mission andObjectives

The Monash Sustainability Institute will

deliver solutions to key climate change

and sustainability challenges through

collaborative research, education, and

action.

MSIs overarching strategic objective isto develop MSI and Monash as leadersin interdisciplinary sustainability researchand education with a ocus on theAustralasian and Pacic regions. Thisincludes:

Research: Build MSI and Monashcapacities to undertake world-classinterdisciplinary research in sustainabilityto nd new solutions to todays climatechange and sustainability challenges.

Education: Build MSI and Monashcapacities in sustainability education byproviding or supporting education andtraining so that students, individuals andorganisations are equipped to meet theirsustainability challenges.

Action: Facilitate action by individuals andorganisations to embed sustainability intotheir uture goals and present activities.

MSI sta (rom let to right): Liam Smith, Tony Wong, Stean Zibell, Phillip Johnstone, John Thwaites, Philip Wallis, Phil Blythe, Stephen Derrick, Emma Grace,

Dave Griggs, Simon Rowntree, Paul McShane, Julie Arcilla, Ray Ison, John Langord, Stacey Sawchuk, Kerry Pratt, Kati Thompson, Janet Stanley, Erin Simpson,

Tahl Kestin, Meg Argyriou, Anna Skarbek, Chrissie Murray, Paul Read, Naomi Rubenstein (photo: Alison Griths).

The Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) is a cross-disciplinary institute withinMonash University, set up to realise the Universitys strategic aspiration to becomea leader in the worldwide eort to create a thriving sustainable society througheducation, research, operations and action.


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The challenges o

sustainability

The most common way to denesustainability is as development

that meets the needs o the presentwithout compromising the ability outure generations to meet their ownneeds.

Sustainability can also be seen asa balance between the principleso environmental protection, socialjustice, economic well-being anddiversity. Global and local naturaland human-driven changes suchas population growth, urbanisation,natural resource depletion andclimate change are creatingincreasing conficts between theseprinciples. These conficts willworsen unless we address thedrivers o change or nd better waysto respond to them. These are thechallenges o sustainability.

Universities have an essential rolein responding to these challenges.They have the capacity to undertakethe research that would allowus to understand and predictthe drivers o change and theirinteractions with natural and humansystems; to develop technological,

legal or economic alternatives;and to understand the role ohuman behaviour and institutionalgovernance in implementingsolutions. They are also perectlyplaced to educate our uture decisionmakers on sustainability.

Our ApproachMSI coordinates, guides and undertakessustainability research, education andaction across Monash and in the widercommunity. It acts as a gateway tothe extensive and varied expertise insustainability across Monashs acultiesand research institutes. And it connectsMonash with the external environmentaround sustainability, namely with otherresearchers, government, business andcommunity organisations, in Australia andinternationally.

MSI takes on this variety o roles andunctions in order to overcome thelimitations o existing structures, capacityand unding sources within Monashand the academic world in general. The

challenges o sustainability pay no heedto the boundaries between academicdisciplines or between universities,government and the community. MSIworks to promote creative interdisciplinaryengagement and new orms ocollaboration and inquiry that engage allrelevant stakeholders. To do this, MSIemphasises:

Multi-stakeholder collaborations

and partnerships

MSI works to develop systemic andholistic solutions to the complex problemsassociated with achieving sustainability bybuilding collaborative partnerships withinand outside the University:

MSIlinkswithacademicsacrossallaculties o the University to addressthe economic, social, environmental,and governance issues associatedwith sustainability, as well as any otherexpertise needed. This is acilitated byMSIs position outside the Universitysaculty structure.

MSIworkstoestablishlinkswithkeyexternal stakeholders in Australia andinternationally. Such links are neces-sary or ensuring the development andadoption o sustainability research.MSI already has strong links across theresearch community, government andpolicy development, business and thewider community.

Finally,MSIworkstodevelopstronglinks between research, educationand action in order to improve theeectiveness o all three areas.It promotes the use o the latestresearch ndings or the development

o education and action activities,as well as the use o evaluation toassess their eectiveness. And it usesunderstanding rom the eld to identiyknowledge gaps where research cancontribute.

Responsiveness and

exibility

For each activity it undertakes, MSItakes on a role that suits the Monashand external contexts. This can include:

Assembling,facilitatingandcoordinating multidisciplinary teams,both rom across Monash andexternally, in response to undingopportunities.

Hostingthemanagementofcross-aculty centres, initiatives, and projects.

Undertakingresearchandeducationalactivities within MSI.

Advisingfacultiesondevelopmento sustainability-related projects andcourses.

Connectingpeople,bothwithinMonash and between Monash andexternal stakeholders.

Providingadviceandassistancetoaculties on recruitment o sustainabilityresearch practitioners.

Obtainingfundingforresearchstafftobe housed within aculties.

Structure andActivities

For the purpose o organisationalstructure, MSI categorises its activitiesinto research, education, action orengagement and outreach. In practice,most activities all into more thanone o these categories, and there isconsiderable collaboration and exchangeacross them. The gure opposite showsour major activity areas in 2010, which areelaborated on urther in this report.


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Research

Build MSI and Monash capacities to undertake

world-class interdisciplinary research in sustainability

to fnd new solutions to todays climate change

and sustainability challenges.

Centre or Water SenSitive CitieS

Transorming cities and their communities in ways

that will help them to li ve in harmony with natural

water environments.

UniWaterAn incubator and hub or research activities in water

and adaptive water governance across the University

o Melbourne and Monash University.

Cm Chg, Bdsy d Hh

Exploring new and emerging research questions related to the health

consequences o climate change and the decline in biodiversity.

Bhu Chg i

Developing cutting-edge research on how to best inuence sustainable

behaviour and implement successul behaviour change programs.

nu rsuc Mgm as rsps Cm Chg

Collaborative projects to develop policies and management rameworks inresponse to climate change and other issues in Asia.

Susb Cs

Improving understanding o the challenges acing the urban orm,

especially those relating to climate change.

aus Bushf as P i

Advancing national action on bushfre arson prevention through

multi-disciplinary evidence-based approaches.

th ic bw Sc d em Susby

The inter-relations between social and environmental

sustainability and their policy implications.

oh acs

SoilCarbonInitiative GeothermalEnergy

IndigenousNaturalResourceManagement EnergyTheme


Engagement and Outreach

ex eggm

Advicetogovernmentandindustryandconsultancies

Externalstakeholderrelationships

GatewaytosustainabilityatMonash

Msh eggm

AdviseMonashonsustainabilitypolicies

Advicetofacultiesonsustainability-relatedrecruitment

LinkingpeopleacrossMonashandexternally

MSi Sm Ss

ShowcasetothegeneralMonashcommunity

the latest work and thinking on sustainability.

Action

Facilitate action by individuals and organisations to embed

sustainability into their uture goals and present activities.

CliMateWorkS aUStralia

A non-proft collaboration that provides

practical solutions dedicated to a sustainable

and prosperous low carbon society.

Susb Cmpus Gup

A group o universities, TAFE institutes and state government

organisations working together to improve environmental

perormance in the tertiary education sector.

oh acs

ResourceSmartTertiaryEducation MonashAnnualReport

Education

Build MSI and Monash capacities in sustainability education by

providing or supporting education and training so that students,

individuals and organisations are equipped to meet their

sustainability challenges.

G Sps

An education and internship program that empowers participants to drive

environmentally sustainable practices within organisations and the community.

MSi Psgdu USupportingmultidisciplinarypostgraduateresearchrelatedtosustainability.

Susby tg d educ Csucs

Customised cutting-edge training programs in environmental sustainability.

oh acs

Guestlectures Monashsubjectdevelopment

MSIThe Monash Sustainability Institute will deliver solutions to key climate change and sustainability

challenges through collaborative research, education and action.


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Core StaIn 2010 MSI had about 30 ull or part-timesta members. Their involvement withMSI refects the range o unctions MSIundertakes. Some sta members werebased only at MSI or one o its hostedorganisations, whereas others had jointappointments with a Monash aculty orother organisations. Some were attachedto specic programs or projects, whereasothers worked on multiple projects orwere involved in developing new MSIproject opportunities. In addition tocore sta MSI works closely with manyother people, both within Monash andexternally.

Leadership

Proessor Edwina Cornish,Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor andDeputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Proessor John Thwaites, Chairman

Proessor David Griggs, Director

Julie Arcilla, PA to the Director

General research

Dr Janet Stanley, Chie Research Ocer

Dr Paul McShane, Chie ResearchOcer

Simon J. Rowntree, Outreach Ocer

Dr Tahl Kestin, Research ProjectManager

Dr Marion Carey, VicHealth SeniorResearch Fellow

Dr Phil Blythe, Research Advisor, EnergyEciency (rom March 2010)

Proessor Kerry Pratt, Energy ThemeLeader (based in the Faculty oEngineering)

Dr Terry Chan, Research Fellow (based

in the Water Studies Centre, Faculty oScience)

Dr Andrew Cock, Postdoctoral Fellow(based in the Monash Asia Institute)

Dr Stephen Livesley, Senior ResearchFellow (based in the School o Geographyand Environmental Science, Faculty oArts)

Education

Mark Boulet, Manager

Anna Lohse, Green Steps Coordinator(on maternity leave rom Nov 2010)

Kati Thompson, Green Steps TrainingCoordinator (rom Nov 2010)

Emma Grace, Green Steps ProjectOcer, Admin

Erin Simpson, Green Steps Internshipand Alumni Coordinator (rom Aug 2010)

Sustainability reporting

Belinda Towns, Manager(on maternity leave rom June 2010)

Dr Almut Beringer, Acting Manager,Sustainable Campus Group

(rom May 2010)

Cameron Cope, Research Assistant

Uniwater

Proessor John Langord, Director(joint appointment with the Universityo Melbourne)

Proessor Ray Ison, Proessor, Systemsor Sustainability, Monash, and Proessoro Systems, Open University, UK (basedin the School o Geography and Environ-mental Science, Faculty o Arts)

Dr Philip Wallis, Research Fellow

Naomi Rubenstein, Research Assistant(rom Aug 2010)

Akaash Sachdeva, Research Assistant(April to Sept 2010)

ClimateWorks Australia

Proessor John Thwaites, Chairman

Proessor David Griggs, CEO

Anna Skarbek, Executive Director

Chrissie Murray, Administrative AssistantMeg Argyriou, Project Manager

Dr Tahl Kestin, Climate ScientistsAustralia Secretariat

Centre or Water

Sensitive Cities

Proessor Tony Wong, Director andChie Executive

Proessor Ana Deletic, Director(Department o Civil Engineering,Faculty o Engineering)

Proessor Rebekah Brown, Director(School o Geography and EnvironmentalScience, Faculty o Arts)

Stacey Sawchuk, Business Manager

Katia Bratieres, Communications Ocer(rom May 2010)

Dr Phillip Johnstone, DSE SciencePolicy Partnership (on secondment romthe Victorian Department o Sustainability

and Environment rom Dec 2010)

Doctoral students

Stephen Derrick(with the Faculty o Arts)

Victoria Johnson (with the Faculty oEngineering)

Paul Read (with the Faculty o Medicine,Nursing and Health Sciences)


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Looking to 2011MSI has several priorities or 2011:

Consolidating and

expanding our initiativesAs this report shows, MSI signicantlyexpanded the range and scale o itsactivities in 2010. This included theestablishment o the Centre or WaterSensitive Cities; the initiation o a seminarseries; the release o the Low CarbonGrowth Plan; and the expansion othe Australian Bushre Arson Initiative,the program or Natural ResourceManagement in Asia, the Systemic andAdaptive Governance Program, and thePostgraduate Unit. Ensuring the strongcontinuation o these and other initiatives

will be a key priority or MSI in 2011.

In addition, MSI will work to realise severalnew initiatives and program areas thatwere developed in 2010. O these, theBehaviour Change Initiative has securedunding and will start operations in early2011. MSI will continue to developand seek unding or the other areas,which include the Soil Carbon Initiative,sustainable cities, social sustainability,climate change and health, and watergovernance.

Formalising the Universitysocus on sustainability

Monash University aspires to become aleader in the worldwide eort to createa thriving sustainable society througheducation, research, operations andaction. Sustainability is one o the vegrand challenges o the 21st Century thatMonash aims to address in its strategicdirections. In 2011 MSI will increase itsrole in assisting Monash to realise thisgoal by strengthening and ormalisingthe ocus on sustainability research andeducation throughout the University.

TheUniversitysleadershiphascharged MSI with leading thedevelopment o the research andeducation components o theUniversitys new sustainability policy,which will take place during 2011.

MSIhasbeeninstrumentalincreatingand recruiting a position within MSIor a Proessor and Convenor orEducation or Sustainability, who willdevelop a strategy or incorporatingsustainability into courses at Monash

and throughout the higher educationsector and assist the aculties toimplement it. An appointment isexpected in early 2011.

MSIwillincreaseitsworkonshowcasing Monashs sustainabilitywork both within the University andto outside stakeholders through itswebsite, seminars and other means.

MSIwillbeworkingwiththeUniversityto develop a business case or a newiconic building to house MSI and theOce o Environmental Sustainability

that will embody the principles oenvironmental, social and nancialsustainability it its design, constructionand operation.

Developing a sustainable

business model or MSI

MSIs activities are currently undedthrough a University grant and limited-term project unding. To ensure that itscore ongoing activities remain viableand can withstand changes in undingcircumstances, MSI will pursue alternative

unding models and strategies in 2011.These include:

Developingasustainablebaseincomesource or MSI, analogous to theincome aculties receive rom teachingees.

Creatingaself-fundingGreenStepsprogram by increasing the incomeit receives rom consultancies andtraineeships.


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Research


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Centre or Water Sensitive Cities

www.watersensitivecities.org.au

The new Centre or Water Sensitive Cities, which was launched on 1 February 2010, aims to playa pivotal role in transorming Australian cities and their communities in ways that will help them livein harmony with natural water environments and become resilient to current and uture challenges.

The Centre consolidates and expands the signicant expertise Monash already has in researchand development or advancing water sensitive cities. It links together over 60 researchers andPhD students rom the Facility or Advancing Water Bioltration (Department o Civil Engineering,Faculty o Engineering), the National Urban Water Governance Program (School o Geography andEnvironmental Science, Faculty o Arts), and other departments in the aculties o Arts, Engineering,Science and Business and Economics. The research teams continue working rom within theirindividual departments and aculties while contributing to Centre activities and programs. TheCentres management and integrative and outreach activities are based at MSI.

The Centre provides research and thought-leadership to address the many aspects o a water

sensitive city through thematic, integrative and outreach programs (see diagram below). The thematicprograms oster undamental research around specic issues, such as stormwater managementresearch and implementation, urban climatology, decentralised urban water services, urban design,economics o resilience, urban water governance and water quality health risk management.The integrative fagship programs aim to develop projects with interactions across disciplinesand aculties. Industry outreach programs build partnerships with external organisations that willenable the transition to water sensitive cities.

The Centres ocus in 2010 was on establishing itsel as a new entity. This included integratingexisting research programs into the Centres structure and establishing new programs, projects,and partnerships or new areas; holding regular research workshops and seminars or sta andstakeholders; and developing a new comprehensive website.

Highlights or 2010

TheCentreforWaterSensitiveCitiesanditsagshipprogram,CitiesasWaterSupplyCatchments,were launched on 1 February 2010 by The Hon. Tim Holding, then Victorian Minister or Water.The Cities as Water Supply Catchments program was subsequently also launched in Sydney andAdelaide.

TheCentrecommencedtwoindustry-outreachprograms:asciencepolicypartnershipwiththeVictorian Department o Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and a capacity building partnershipwith Clearwater.

TheCitiesasWaterSupplyCatchmentsProgramreleasedtheblueprint2011,therstversionofa living document on realisation o water sensitive cities through innovative management o urbanstormwater, at the end o 2010.

People

Director and Chief Executive

Proessor Tony Wong

(MSI & School o Geography and

Environmental Science, Faculty o

Arts)

Directors

Proessor Ana Deleti c

(Department o Civil Engineering,

Faculty o Engineering)

Proessor Rebekah Brown

(School o Geography and

Environmental Science,

Faculty o Arts)

Centre management

Stacey Sawchuk (MSI)

Katia Bratieres (MSI)

Rachelle Adamowicz



Faculty o Arts)

Louise John-Krol



Key academic and research staff

Associate Proessor Jason

Beringer (School o Geography and

Environmental Science, Faculty o Arts)

Proessor Jennier Davis

(School o Biological Sciences,

Faculty o Science)

Associate Proessor Tim Fletcher



Proessor Dave Griggs (MSI)

Proessor Ray Ison

(MSI, Open University & School

o Geography and Environmental

Science, Faculty o Arts)

Proessor Christian Jakob

(School o Mathematical Sciences,

Faculty o Science)

Dr David McCarthy



Proessor Michael Reeder

(School o Mathematical Sciences,

Faculty o Science)

Dr Liam Smith

(Department o Management,

Faculty o Business and Economics)

Proessor Nigel Tapper (School



Proessor John Thwaites (MSI)


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Flagship program: Cities as Water Supply Catchments

The Centres $20 million, ve-year fagship research program aims to harness the potential ostormwater to overcome water shortages, reduce urban temperatures, and improve waterwayhealth and the landscape o Australian cities. Working with industry and government, the programwill provide ongoing practical solutions to harvesting stormwater by improving existing inrastructure,

implementing new environment-riendly systems and developing urban design policies.

The program consists o eight interlinked research projects (see diagram above) and integrateddemonstration and communications strategies. The research program has been developed withsignicant input rom key investors and stakeholders. It involves interdisciplinary collaborationacross eight academic disciplines, three universities, three water corporations, three private sectororganisations, and twenty ederal, state and local governments or government agencies. The maindeliverable o the program or 2010 was the blueprint2011 on realisation o water sensitive cities.

Key Associates

Ross Allen

(AECOM)

Dr Peter Breen

(AECOM)

Melissa Cordy

(Clearwater, Melbourne Water)

Dr Wolgang Gernjak

(Advanced Water Management

Centre, University o Queensland)

Michael Godrey


Leanne Hodyl (AECOM)

Dr Phillip Johnstone

(Victorian Department o

Sustainability and Environment)

Emily Kaye


Tania Struzina


Associate Proessor Chris Walsh(University o Melbourne)

Research students

Peter Bach

Yvette Bettini

Naomi Blackburn

Annette Bos

Katie Brookes

Dale Browne

Matthew Burns

Gayani Chandrasena

David Choy

Nadine DArgentCintia Dotto

Jason Ellerton

Briony Ferguson

Bonnie Glaister

Mahala Gunther

Perrine Hamel

Harpreet Kandra

Yali Li

Alice Niculescu

Sultana Nury

Avijit Paul

Emily Payne

Tracey Pham

Michael Poustie

Fern Yong

Carlyne Yu

Yaron Zinger

blueprint2011: Stormwater

management in a water sensitive city

The blueprint is a living how to guide to supportthe transition to water sensitive cities. Based ona comprehensive literature review across multipledisciplines it outlines approaches to the management ourban stormwater and to the integration o appropriatemanagement technologies into Australian urban designpractice in the planning o urban developments andre-developments. The blueprint will be updated regularly

by the Cities as Water Supply Catchments team toincorporate the latest research in this area.

Thematic programs

The Centres thematic research programs undertake undamental and applied research on specicissues relating to water sensitive cities. Most o the programs build on already existing projects thathave been developed in several aculties and departments. The research teams continue workingwithin the aculties, and most also contribute to the fagship programs run by the Centre.

TheWSUD treatment technologies program aims to develop and test a range o new technologies

or managing urban water systems, in particular urban stormwater. It builds on research andcommercialisation projects undertaken by the Facility or Advancing Water Bioltration at theDepartment o Civil Engineering, which has already provided proo-o-concept or stormwaterbioltration treatment systems.


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Partners

Cities as Water Supply

Catchments research partners

Monash University

AECOM

University o MelbourneUniversity o Queensland

Cities as Water Supply

Catchments industry partners

Brisbane City Council

Central West Councils Salinity and

Water Quality Alliance

City o Manningham

City o Port Phillip

Sydney Metropolitan Catchment

Management Authority

Marrickville City Council

Melbourne Water

National Water Commission

South East Water

Adelaide & Mount Loty Ranges NRM

South Australian Murray-Darling

Basin NRM

South Australia State Government

Consortium

Land Management Corporation (SA)

SA Department or Water

SA Water

Victorian Department o Innovation,

Industry and Regional Development

VicUrban

Parramatta City CouncilCity o Sydney

Hornsby Shire Council

Fairfeld City Council

Warringah Council

NSW Department o Planning

Blacktown City Council

Outreach program partners

Melbourne Water

Victorian Department o Sustainability

and Environment

The Urban Water Governance Program builds on the successul National Urban WaterGovernance Program o the School o Geography and Environmental Science in the Faculty oArts. It undertakes national and international research to bridge the policy-implementation gapthrough undamental and applied research in urban water management, in particular in the areas oinstitutions and organisations, innovation and adoption, community water management, and urbanwater utures.

TheEcosystem Dynamics Programexplores the link between urban water systems, the urbanlandscape and ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on aquatic receiving waters such as streams,wetlands and estuaries. This program has only commenced its development in 2010, and will bringtogether several projects rom the Department o Civil Engineering and the School o Biology.

The Urban Climatology Program aims to improve understanding o climatic phenomena within theurban environment, with the ultimate aim o mitigating urban heat and the human health impactsassociated with the built environment. It builds on research undertaken by the School o Geographyand Environmental Science.

TheImplementation Models Program is developing tools (e.g. mathematical models and sotwarepackages) and rameworks to help practitioners implement water sensitive cities. It encompassesprojects developed by the Department o Civil Engineering and the School o Geography andEnvironmental Science.

Outreach programs

In December 2010 the Centre and the Victorian Government Department o Sustainability andEnvironment (DSE) established a Science-Policy Partnershipor advancing water sensitivecities in Victoria. This partnership will oster the development o enabling policies and regulatoryand administrative rameworks in elds such as integrated water management, climate changeadaptation, and social and institutional capital o water sensitive cities. Dr Phillip Johnstone rom DSEhas been seconded to the Centre or three years as Program Leader.

The Capacity Building Program or Water Sensitive Cities, which commenced on 1 July 2010,is a partnership between the Centre and Melbourne Water. It links the Centres innovative researchwith Clearwater, Melbourne Waters award-winning industry-training program. The capacity buildingprogram, led by Emily Kaye rom Melbourne Water with our ull-time industry outreach ocers,will provide industry proessionals with technical training, orums, site tours, advice and online

inormation in order to increase their awareness and adoption o best practice and develop theirtechnical and leadership skills.

Photo: Centre or Water Sensitive Cities


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People

Director

Proessor John Langord

(MSI & University o Melbourne)

Uniwater team

Proessor Ray Ison

(MSI, Open University & School



Dr Philip Wallis (MSI)

Dr Jana-Axinja Paschen



Faculty o Arts)

Andrea Grant



Faculty o Arts)

Naomi Rubenstein (MSI)

Ben Iaquinto (School o Geography

and Environmental Science, Faculty

o Arts)

Akaash Sachdeva (MSI)

Katelyn Samson (MSI)

Research Associates

Proessor Lee Godden

(Centre or Resources,

Energy and Environmental Law,University o Melbourne)

Proessor Ralph Mac Nally

(School o Biological Sciences,

Faculty o Science)

Proessor Richard Bawden

(Systemic Development Institute)

Josh Floyd

(independent researcher)

Roger Wrigley (School o Geography

and Environmental Science, Faculty

o Arts)

Uniwater

www.uniwater.edu.au

Systemic and Adaptive Governance Program

Uniwaters Systemic and Adaptive Governance Program, led by Proessor Ray Ison, exploresthe practical and theoretical robustness o current water and climate change governanceregimes and develops new models and strategies to make uture governance t-or-purpose

in a climate-changing world. The program includes projects on water governance, climatechange adaptation, social learning and systems thinking.

Uniwater is a joint initiative o the University o Melbourne and Monash University that acts as anincubator and hub or research activities in water across the two universities. Uniwater developsinterdisciplinary activities to address the complex water challenges arising in the context o climatechange and increased competition. It aims to realise the potential o agriculture to use less waterthrough eective water policies and institutions, while ensuring eective regard o economicperormance, environmental impact, resource-use eciency, and social support.

Highlights or 2010

NegotiationofafundingcollaborationbetweentheCommitteefortheEconomicDevelopmento Australia (CEDA), Harvard University and Uniwater.

EstablishmentoftheNationalWaterGovernanceResearchInitiativewiththeNationalClimateChange Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF).

Participatinginthreeofthefourrst-roundprojectsfundedbytheVictorianCentreforClimateChange Adaptation Research (VCCCAR).

CEDA water policy reorm

In 2010 Uniwater negotiated an agreement or unding collaboration with CEDA and HarvardUniversity to review the perormance o Australian water policy reorms during the extended 13-yeardrought in south-eastern Australia, and prepare an agenda or uture water policy reorm. The projecthas raised $600,000 to date.

NCCARF Adaptation Research Network or Water Resources and Freshwater

Biodiversity Victorian Node

Uniwater coordinates the Victorian activities o the NCCARF Water Network. Based on an earlierconsultation on what would inorm climate change adaptation in the context o water resources andreshwater biodiversity, the Victorian node held a workshop in 2010 on developing a reshwater long-term ecological research program in Victoria. The workshop was attended by researchers, managersand policy-makers, and its outcomes are being developed into a research proposal.

Managing demand or electricity and water in Victoria

Earlier MSI work ound that the electricity sector has made little progress with demand managementor eciency compared with the water and transport sectors. With unding rom the HelenMacpherson Smith Trust, Uniwater reviewed electricity demand management and eciencymeasures in Australia and internationally, and identied potential measures that would be appropriateor the Victorian context.

Farms, rivers and markets

This complex interdisciplinary project explores the interactions between arming systems and riveroperating systems in order to deliver better water products and services that allow both armers andenvironmental water holders to do more with less water. The project is a collaboration betweenMonash, the University o Melbourne and the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Monash,through Uniwater, is contributing to the river ecology component o the project.


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Partners

Funding

Committee or the Economic

Development o Australia (CEDA)

National Climate Change Adaptation

Research Facility (NCCARF)

Victorian Centre or Climate Change

Adaptation Research (VCCCAR)

Helen Macpherson Smith Trust

Victorian Department o Primary

Industries (DPI)

Research

Committee or the Economic

Development o Australia (CEDA)



Victorian Centre or Climate Change

Adaptation Research (VCCCAR)

University o Melbourne

Centre or Resources,Energy and Environmental Law,


Climate Change Adaptation

Programme, RMIT University

Victorian Department o

Sustainability and Environment (DSE)

Victorian Department o Planning

and Community Development

Victorian Department o Primary

Industries (DPI)

Australia-China Centre on Water

Resources Research, University o

Melbourne (ACCWRR)

Open Systems Research Group,

The Open University, UK

Centre or Water Sensitive Cities,

Monash University

Sydney Metropolitan Catchment

Management Authority

Blacktown City Council

NCCARF National Water Governance

Research Initiative

This initiative is a theme o the NCCARF Water Network. Itsobjectives are to create a community o conversation aboutwater governance in Australia. Activities to date have included a

survey o water governance researchers, a workshop on watergovernance research held in Canberra in November and theormation o a national reerence group. The rst outcome is anational agenda or water governance research.

Critical perspectives on scenario planning

The Systemic and Adaptive Governance Program delivered a critical assessment o scenario praxiswithin government as part o the VCCCAR project Building common understanding o climateadaptation scenario approaches and strategies, which engages with Victorian climate adaptationpolicy makers to improve climate adaptation outcomes.

Framing multi-level and multi-actor adaptation responses in the Victorian context

This VCCCAR-unded project is led by RMIT and involves Monash, the University o Melbourne

and the Victorian Department o Sustainability and Environment. The Monash-led component,Exploring local narratives, investigates local perceptions o climate-related risks and attitudes tothe management o uncertainty in Port Fairy and the City o Melbourne. The project will analyse howtraditions o environmental knowledge and practice constrain or promote innovation and change orclimate change adaptation.

Systemic and adaptive water governance:

Lessons or Australia rom China and South Arica

This new ARC Linkage project is undertaking comparative research o catchments in Australia, Chinaand South Arica in order to provide a comprehensive science-policy linked, systemic and adaptivewater governance ramework that addresses the scarcity, uncertainty and complexity o water in thecatchments. In 2010 the team completed a literature review and visited the China case study area.

Strengthening research capacity o China and South Arica in sustainable water

resources management with UK and Australian experiences

This project, unded by the Ecosystems Services or Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme (UK)and led by Proessor Ison, is a partnership between Chinese and South Arican researchers withsupport rom Uniwater, the University o Melbourne, and the Open University (UK). Monash, includingresearchers in the Centre or Water Sensitive Cities, is developing a case study in Timor Leste or theprojects ollow up bid or 2011 ESPA unding.

Systems thinking Capability development and application

in relation to climate change adaptation and water managing

This project with the Victorian Department o Primary Industries (DPI) undertook several systemicinquiries o DPI sta and organisation in order to understand how systems approaches could be in-corporated into DPIs climate change adaptation research repertoire and how a systems communityo practice can be created in DPI.

Opening conversations or communities o practice in water governance: Sydney

This project is working with the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority andBlacktown City Council to identiy key stakeholders in the water sector and examine howconnections can be built between them in order to acilitate transition to water sensitive cities.The project is being undertaken in conjunction with the Centre or Water Sensitive Cities.

History o water managing in the Goulburn-Broken Catchment

This project evaluates the Victorian Governments strategy or improving irrigation in the GoulburnMurray Irrigation District through inrastructure upgrades and looks at alternatives to the currenttop-down approach o water governance in the district. In addition it is undertaking a research inquiryinto the history o salinity management in the catchment.

Participants at the Water Governance

Research Initiative National Workshop

(photo: Philip Wallis).


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Natural Resource Management in Asiain Response to Climate Change

Workshop on integrated catchment management

held at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi

(photo: Paul McShane).

Climate change in combination with increasing urbanisation, increased water demand rom irrigationand industry, changes to land management through orestry and agriculture, population increase andpoverty presents an enormous challenge to developing countries in Asia. The projects in this AusAID-unded portolio ocus on bringing together multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder teams to collaborativelydevelop adaptation and mitigation policies and natural resource management rameworks that respondto these challenges. Several projects examine options or reducing greenhouse gas emissions bypreventing deorestation and orest degradation, particularly in Indonesia. For adaptation, severalprojects ocus on improved water resource and catchment management.

Highlights or 2010

SeniorleadersoftheUniversityofPalangkaRayaandmembersoftheNationalCouncilonClimate Change (Indonesia) visited Monash to consolidate ongoing collaborative activities. In

addition collaborations were established with the Indian Institute o Technology Bombay, theVietnam National University and the Vietnam Ministry o Natural Resources and Environment.

AnacademicfromtheUniversityofPalangkaRayawasawardedanAustralianDevelopmentScholarship by AusAID or doctoral study at Monash.

Thesix-weekvisitbyAustralianLeadershipAwardFellowswascelebratedwithadinnerhostedbyVice-Chancellor Proessor Ed Byrne, with guest o honour the Consul-General o India, Anita Nayar.

Developing integrated catchment management strategies in Indonesia, Vietnam

and India or sustainable water use in response to climate change

This project brought together experts rom Monashand research and management agencies in Indonesia,Vietnam and India to address management o majorcatchments in these countries in response to climatechange and other issues, such changes in landmanagement, biodiversity and trans-boundary waterresource allocation. The team is using Bayesiannetworks to develop integrated catchment models orthe Ciliwung (Jakarta), Sebangau (Central Kalimantan),and Red (Vietnam) rivers. The models are being usedto evaluate alternative management options and toassess likely climate change scenarios. A urther studyevaluated climate change impacts on the Mekong Deltaand worked with policy makers to develop collaborativegovernance approaches to managing them.

Developing proactive policy and practice or land and water management

responsive to climate change in South AsiaFourteen senior academics rom India and Bangladesh visited Monash or six weeks as part oAusAIDs Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) Fellowship program. The program aimed to encouragean integrated multidisciplinary approach to regional climate change adaptation and mitigation. Thevisit included a ve-day orum and urther activities at the Monash Asia Institute, and a ollow uporum in Kolkata, India. The discussions resulted in several research proposals relating to communitydevelopment and climate change in the Ganges River basin or submission to the AustraliaIndiaStrategic Research Fund.

Managing community impacts o climate change in India and Bangladesh

This AusAID-unded project started with a two-day workshop in Kolkata, India. The workshopbrought together Australian, Indian and Bangladeshi stakeholders to evaluate the consequences olikely climate change on communities o the Ganges River Basin. A priority will be to examine the role

o women and children in vulnerable communities. The project aims to develop a policy ramework,including an integrated assessment, targeted at regional management agencies.

People

Program leader

Dr Paul McShane (MSI)

Monash

Proessor Philip Adams

(Centre o Policy Studies,


Dr Shari As-Saber



Proessor Frada Burstein

(Faculty o Inormation Technology)

Renata Chylinski

(Monash University English LanguageCentre)

Dr Terry Chan (MSI & Water Studies

Centre, Faculty o Science)

Dr Andrew Cock

(MSI & Monash Asia Institute)

Dr Edoardo Daly (Department o Civil

Engineering, Faculty o Engineering)

Proessor Ana Deletic



Proessor Dave Griggs (MSI)

Proessor Yew Kwang Ng

(Department o Economics, Faculty

o Business and Economics)

Associate Proessor Karin Leder

(School o Public Health and

Preventive Medicine, Faculty o

Medicine, Nursing and Health

Sciences)

Dr Henry Linger

(Faculty o Inormation Technology)

Dr Stephen Livesley (MSI & School



Dr David McCarthy



Proessor Ralph Mac Nally

(School o Biological Sciences,Faculty o Science)

Gujji Muthuswamy

(Department o Accounting and

Finance, Faculty o Business and

Economics)

Dr Paul Raschy

(Department o Economics, Faculty

o Business and Economics)

Dr Thomas Reuter

(School o Political and Social Inquiry,

Faculty o Arts)

Dr Max Richter (School o Political

and Social Inquiry, Faculty o Arts)

Simon Rowntree (MSI)

Dr Martha Sinclair (School o PublicHealth and Preventive Medicine,

Faculty o Medicine, Nursing and

Health Sciences)


21/56


Proessor Nigel Tapper



Faculty o Arts)

Dr Craig Thorburn (School o

Geography and Environmental

Science, Faculty o Arts)Proessor Marika Vicziany

(Monash Asia Institute)

Proessor Gordon Whyte (School o

Rural Health, Faculty o Medicine,

Nursing and Health Sciences)

Partners

Funding

AusAID

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Institute o Development

Studies

Khulna Institute o Engineering and

Technology

University o Dhaka

Cambodia

Department o Forest Plantation and

Private Forest

India

GGS Indraprastha University

Indian Institute o Management

Calcutta

Indian Institute o Technology

Bombay

Indian Institute o Science

Institute o Development Studies

Kolkata

Orissa Water Planning Authority

TERI The Energy and Resources

Institute

University o Calcutta

Indonesia

Institut Pertanian Bogor

National Council on Climate Change

(DNPI)

Gadjah Mada University

University o Indonesia

University o Palangka Raya

Vietnam

Forest Science Institute Vietnam

Ministry o Natural Resources and

Environment

Vietnam National University,

Hanoi

Responding to climate change in Indonesia

Indonesia is the worlds third largestemitter o carbon, principally romdeorestation and peat degradation.

Reducing these emissions is apriority or both the Indonesian andAustralian governments, who workcollaboratively through the Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership.

MSI is working on this issue withseveral Indonesian institutions.The work ocuses on the potentialor implementing REDD projectsin Indonesia. REDD (ReducingEmissions rom Deorestation andForest Degradation), is a UnitedNations eort to oer incentives

or developing countries to preventorest emissions.

MSIs projects address potentialbarriers to REDD, including landtenure, governance, law andregulation, alternative livelihoods,and knowledge management.

Community

Provincial government

Climate Change Policy

Institut Pertanian Bogor

University of

Palangka Raya

Gadjah Mada

University

Ministries/Agencies

District

Monash

Sustainability

Institute

National Council

on Climate Change

MSI collaborative partnerships and their stakeholders in Indonesia.

Developing capacity or proactive climate change mitigation and adaptation

in Indonesia

This project aims to build capacity at the University o Palangka Raya (UNPAR) in Central Kalimantanto address current climate change issues, in particular those relating to REDD. Activities so arincluded a visit by a Monash delegation to Central Kalimantan to visit proposed REDD sites,consult with local stakeholders and develop research approaches. In addition, a representativerom Monashs English Language College visited UNPAR and prepared a training strategy to assistIndonesian scholars with entry to a doctoral program at Monash.

Strengthening capacity or responsive climate change policy development

and application in Indonesia

The Government o Indonesia established the National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) to developand help implement policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. This project aims to strengthenDNPIs capacity or policy development by improving its knowledge management capabilities. TheMonash team has worked closely with DNPI and a Jakarta-based project team to map how DNPIcollects inormation and disseminates it to relevant agencies. They identied two key approaches:

A top down approach linking central government agencies through DNPI; and a bottom-up approachthat works with communities to understand economic and social drivers o alternative action.

Extending successul community-based orestry management experience or

application to REDD scheme reorestation trials and development o an Asian

carbon economy

This project aims to reduce carbon emissions rom orest degradation in Asian countries byextending an approach known as community-based orestry management. A workshop in Kolkata,India, brought together stakeholders rom Australia, India, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam tocompare how this approach might t within the context o climate change policy development andimplementation in their countries. They identied several areas or clarication such as consistentorest assessment methodologies and development o carbon-based orest management protocols that are currently being developed as research proposals.


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Each year, thousands o bushres are deliberately lit around Australia, yet existing preventionmeasures are generally limited in scope, lack a scientic basis and have not been evaluated.

To address this, MSI ormed the Australian Bushre Arson Prevention Initiative in mid-2009 inpartnership with the Monash Centre or Forensic Behavioural Science and Bond University, with seedunding rom RACV Insurance.

The Initiative aims to oster the development o multidisciplinary evidence-based approachesin our key areas: (1) community-based prevention, (2) mental health intervention and treatment,(3) legislative responses and (4) stakeholder linkage networks and inormation exchange.

Highlights or 2010

HoldingtheSymposiumforAdvancingBushreArsonPreventioninAustralia,whichwasopened

by The Hon. Robert McClelland, MP, Attorney-General or Australia.Beinginvitedtopresentthesymposiumsoutcomesto40arsonspecialistsfromaroundthe

country at the Attorney Generals 2010 National Bushre Arson Forum.

BeingaskedbyCrimeStoppersVictoriatoassistthemindevelopingpostersforabushrearsonprevention campaign

Symposium Advancing Bushfre Arson Prevention in Australia

This two-day symposium, held in partnership with the Australian Institute o Criminology, aimed tobroaden the discussion about solutions to bushre arson in Australia. It had over 110 participantsrom emergency services, criminal justice, mental health, community groups, the commercial sector,government and academia. The discussion and recommendations were captured in a widelycirculated report, which also included over 20 discussion papers on specic prevention approaches.

Community-based prevention

This program area seeks to understand the interace between communities and re as the basisor developing arson prevention measures. Work in 2010 included research with behaviour changeexperts in the Faculty o Business and Economics on what would motivate people to reportsuspicions o bushre arson, in support o a Crime Stoppers bushre arson campaign. Researchhas also commenced on the actors that infuence youth re-setting. The Initiative has joined theGippsland Arson Prevention Program and is working with them on regional prevention strategies.

Mental health intervention and treatment

This work area aims to identiy and acilitate the development o evidence-based psychologicalinterventions to reduce the risk o re-oending by both adult and juvenile re-setters. As a rst step in2010, the team prepared review papers on what is currently known about why people set res, how

their risk o doing it can be assessed, and how they can be treated. These papers will be publishedin early 2011 in a special issue oPsychiatry, Psychology and Law.

Legislative responses

This project compared the myriad legal provisions and legislative and sentencing ideologies relatingto bushre arson across Australia and internationally. The results suggest that legal proscriptionsalone are unlikely to deter potential oenders, but that non-adversarial justice processes andrestorative justice modes may assist in reducing re-oending rates.

Bushfre research coordination across Monash

Following the publication o the nal report o the 2009 Victorian Bushre Royal Commission, whichrecommended the establishment o a National Bushre Research Centre, the Initiative coordinatedbushre researchers across Monash in putting orward Monashs involvement in the proposed centre.

People

Program leader

Dr Janet Stanley (MSI)

Management

Proessor Mairead Dolan

(Centre or Forensic Behavioural

Science, Monash University, and the

Victorian Institute o Forensic Mental

Health Forensicare)

Associate Proessor Rebekah Doley

(Bond University)

Dr Troy McEwan

(Centre or Forensic Behavioural

Science, Monash University, and theVictorian Institute o Forensic Mental

Health Forensicare)

Dr Tahl Kestin (MSI)


Research associates

Associate Proessor Gaye Lansdell

(Faculty o Law)

Associate Proessor Katarina Fritzon

(Bond University)

Dr Liam Smith



Dr Jim Curtis

(Department o Management,Faculty o Business and Economics)

Warwick Jones

(Australian Institute o Criminology)

Partners

Funding

RACV Insurance

Ofce o the Victorian Emergency

Services Commissioner

Research

Bond University

Australian Institute o Criminology

Crime Stoppers Victoria

Gippsland Arson Prevention

Program (GAPP)

Accidental, Natural and Social

Fire Risk Assessment (EU), and

Northumberland Fire and Rescue

Service (UK)

Opposite: Crime Stoppers poster or the 2010/11 re season bushre arson prevention campaign.


Australian Bushfre Arson Prevention Initiative


23/56



24/56


This program aims to identiy and explore new and emerging research questions and buildknowledge related to the health consequences o climate change and the decline in biodiversity.The program leader is supported through a unding partnership between VicHealth and Monashwith additional support rom the Victorian Department o Sustainability and Environment.

Work in 2010 ocussed on building collaborative relationships within Monash and with externalstakeholders, and developing projects that explore the health impacts o climate change and howto adapt to these.

Climate change and extreme heat

Extreme heat events already contribute signicantly to mortality and community illness in Australia.With climate change likely to make these events more common, and with a population growingincreasingly vulnerable through aging, urbanisation and higher rates o chronic disease, this program

has developed several projects aimed at improving public health responses to extreme heat events:

AssistinghealthservicesinVictoriatoadapttoextremeheatandassociatedairpollutionthroughservice provision, prevention and health promotion. This project is being developed by MSI withresearchers rom Monash, La Trobe University, the University o Melbourne and CSIRO.

Understandingtheimplicationsofclimatechangeforthehealthandwell-beingoftheurbanhomeless, and how services can adapt to changing needs.

Improvingthecapacityoftheprimaryhealthcaresystemtopreventandmanagethepredictedhealth impacts o heat events. The project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Universityo the Sunshine Coast.

Impacts o long-term water insecurity on the health and well-being

o rural residents

MSI and the Monash Departments o Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and Rural andIndigenous Health developed this project to investigate how residents o rural towns adapt to theperceived eects o long-term water insecurity on their health and well-being, as well as to identiytheir risk actors or vulnerability. The project will commence in 2011 with seed unding rom theMonash Faculty o Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

The Monash Climate and Health Research Alliance (MoCHRA)

MoCHRA is a network, initiated by MSI, o Monash researchers with an interest in the health aspectso climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, or environmental change. The network servesto promote and link external individuals and agencies to Monash work in this area, as well as toacilitate collaboration and idea generation within Monash.

Biodiversity and health

Recent international assessments have highlighted the close dependence o human health onbiodiversity, through benets such as ecosystem services, disease regulation and genetic resources.However biodiversity loss is occurring at an unprecedented rate through environmental degradationand climate change. This project, in partnership with the Victorian Department o Sustainability andEnvironment and the University o Melbourne, is working to synthesise and disseminate inormationon the links between biodiversity and human health in an Australian context and the implications obiodiversity loss.

Climate Change, Biodiversityand Health Program

People

Program leader

Dr Marion Carey (MSI)

Research associates

Dr Martine Dennekamp (Department

o Epidemiology and Preventive

Medicine, Faculty o Medicine,


Associate Proessor John Fitzgerald

(VicHealth)

Jess Fritze (Victorian Council o

Social Service)

Dr Margaret Loughnan (School



Judy McInnes (Department o

Epidemiology and Preventive



Dr Anne Roiko (University o the

Sunshine Coast)

Proessor Malcolm Sim (Centre or

Occupational and Environmental

Health, Faculty o Medicine, Nursing

and Health Sciences)

Dr Martha Sinclair (Department

o Epidemiology and Preventive



Simon Smith (Victorian Departmento Sustainability and Environment)


Proessor Nigel Tapper (School



Margaret Stebbing (Department o

Rural and Indigenous Health, Faculty

o Medicine, Nursing and Health

Sciences)

Dr Ken Winkel

(University o Melbourne)

Partners

Program funding and

advisory panel

VicHealthVictorian Department o

Sustainability and Environment

Research

Monash Centre or Occupational and

Environmental Health

Monash Weather and Climate Program

La Trobe University

CSIRO

University o the Sunshine Coast



Victorian Council o Social Service

Environment Protection Authority

Victoria

Bureau o Meteorology


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The Interace between Social andEnvironmental Sustainability

People

Program leader


Research associates

Proessor Graham Currie

(Institute o Transport Studies,


Alexa Delbosc



Dr Dianne Vella-Brodrick



Victoria Johnson

(MSI & Institute o Transport

Studies, Faculty o Engineering)

Paul Read

(MSI & School o Psychology and

Psychiatry, Faculty o Medicine,


Stephen Derrick

(MSI & School o Political and

Social Inquiry, Faculty o Arts)

Proessor John Stanley

(University o Sydney)

Proessor Lenore Manderson

(School o Psychology and

Psychiatry, Faculty o Medicine,

Nursing and Health Science)

Dr Karen Lucas (Oxord University)

Proessor David Hensher

(University o Sydney)


Partners

Funding

Australian Research Council (ARC)

Victorian Department o Planning

and Community Development

Victorian Department o Transport

Interace Councils

Bus Association o Victoria

Research

National Institute o Economic and

Industry Research


Oxord University

University o Ulster

University o Newcastle

Australian National University

University o Tasmania

MSI is contributing to expanding understanding o how social and environmental sustainability areinter-related, and to identication o policy solutions that would maximise outcomes in both areas.

This work is set in the context o increasing inequality, rising environmental degradation andclimate change. It ocuses on policy and community engagement in climate change mitigation andadaptation; the provision o land transport and its interconnections with social inclusion; and themeasurement o social and environmental sustainability.

These issues are considered rom individual to national levels, and are compared both within andbetween countries. The projects include both strategic and applied work, looking at the interacebetween issues, impacts and policies. This approach has resulted in the research infuencing policydevelopment in Australia and having an international impact.

Investigating transport disadvantage, social exclusion and

well-being in metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria

This large multi-discipline and multi-year ARC-unded research, led by Proessor Graham Currie atthe Institute o Transport Studies, has led to considerable new knowledge, including how to measuresocial exclusion and related variables and the nancial value o mobility. In 2010 the team reportedresults in academic journals and a book, developed policy advice, and presented the results toseveral ederal government departments, including the Social Inclusion Unit in the Department oPrime Minister and Cabinet.

Exploring transport to arts and cultural activities as a acilitator

o social inclusion

Victoria Johnson has almost completed her doctoral studies on the role o arts and cultural activitiesin ostering social inclusion, and the barriers, especially transport-related, to participation. She ound

that social exclusion is associated with less participation in arts and cultural activities and that boththe location o activities and access to transport are important infuences on participation.

Reconceptualising needs, equity and well-being in the context

o global sustainability

As part o his doctoral studies, Paul Read has been looking at improved measurement o social well-being and environmental sustainability at the country level, such as through the Human DevelopmentIndex. This work is improving understanding o how to measure human needs and how to identiythe point at which economic growth, human well-being and environmental sustainability are allmaximised.

Contested sustainabilities

Stephen Derrick has commenced doctoral work on the development o a sustainability ramework to

acilitate a social response to prevent and manage environmental pollution.

Project development to assist with the CRC or Social Inclusion bid

MSI assisted with the development o a Monash bid, with over 40 partners, or a CRC in SocialInclusion. The CRCs aim is to maximise understanding o the causes o social exclusion and place-based disadvantage, and how to reduce them. Although the bid was not successul, Monash plansto resubmit in 2011.


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Sustainable Cities Program

This program seeks to better understand the many challenges acing urban orm, especially those relatingto climate change. In particular, it aims to identiy responses to the challenges o signicantly reducinggreenhouse gas emissions while maintaining a city that is inclusive, accessible and has high liveability.

Although this program is still being developed, considerable progress has already been achievedon energy eciency in households, including consideration o community development and risk oexclusion as well as to technological aides to monitor energy and water savings. Work is also beingundertaken on transport inrastructure, housing and densication in response to climate change.A program is also being developed on housing, place-based disadvantage and the sustainability onew low-cost housing on the ringes o the city.

Highlights or 2010

MonashUniversityplayedasignicantroleintheADCCitiesSummit,providingaagshipreview

o urban orm and cities, and a platorm to build work on the uture city challenges. MonashhasincreaseditsinvolvementwiththeAustralianHousingUrbanResearchInstitute

(AHURI) Swinburne-Monash Research Centre.

DrPhilBlythejoinedMSItoprogressthisprogramandengagewithenvironmentalsustainabilityat Monash on energy eciency.

WorkhascommencedwithMorelandEnergyFoundationLtd.(MEFL),anon-protorganisationdedicated to sustainable energy and working with the community to achieve sustainability goals.

TheprogramwasinvolvedintheleaduppresentationsandconferenceofVicUrbansMelbournePlace Making Series.

ADC Cities Summit

Monash played a signicant role, through participation and sponsorship, in the ADC Cities Summit,

which took place in Melbourne on 2930 March 2010. It involved leading a series o think-tankworkshops prior to the Summit and the writing o the ADC Cities Report. This work has lead tocomprehensiv

msi annual activity report 2010

Documents