Australian academy of Technological sciences and engineering (ATSE)

Number 175 December 2012

The Scramble for Natural Resources more food from less land Contributors discuss how research, development and policy change can help ensure the competitors for the globe’s natural resources all get a fair go. Thoughts Resources / Watching what we Contributor / Jody Harris eat: key to food security? 1 December 2012 / 1 / Jody Harris

My role as a member of Arup’s Environment and Sustainability team covers everything from sustainability appraisals to

©iStock environmental assessments The recent droughts in the US and the protests by farmers over milk prices in the UK have to delivering carbon brought the issue of urban food security into the spotlight. My research leads me to think that management projects for existing approaches to food security are flawed because they fail to get to grips with a funda- clients in both the public mental issue: what do people eat and why, and how might that be changed? and private sectors.

Food security is about the availability, accessibility and utilisation of food. So, for example, I’m currently undertaking if a city can’t physically get enough supplies of a particular food, then its food security is doctoral research on how threatened. Similarly, if people can’t afford to buy that food or can’t use it to create nourish- cities engage with the ing meals, then the supply isn’t secure. food security agenda.I’m specifically interested in It used to be assumed that availability was the main barrier to food security, grow more food the role that cities might and you improve security. However, work in the 1980s by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen (and do) play in affecting brought accessibility into focus as the key barrier; people were still going hungry despite an change in our food system abundance of food in the world. This still holds and a rise in the number of people accessing in the face of drivers such charity run food banks in the UK and North America shows this is not just a problem for the as population growth, developing world. urbanisation, climate change, and changing It’s estimated that a combination of increasing populations and increasing appetites could dietary preferences. result in a 70% increase in demand for food by 2050. This demand will have to be met despite global drivers of change like depleted resources and climate change, which make it harder to produce enough food. Thoughts /

In response, some governments and cities are developing food security strategies. Cities in The best solutions can only particular have a vital role to play because they will soon be home to 70% of the world’s come about by continually population. Cities are focusing on agricultural yields, supply chain resilience, distribution listening, learning and chal- within a city, promoting healthy foods and affordability. lenging. That’s why we’ve created Thoughts - In the US and Canada, food policy councils have been created to promote sustainable food a place for experts, systems at a city scale. US cities are assessing their food systems, while London and a few practitioners and other UK cities now have a food strategy. A lot of the strategies involve things like promoting enthusiasts to talk about the urban agriculture, supporting farmers’ markets and helping people to access healthy foods. issues affecting the built environment now and in But although these initiatives address the availability and accessibility of food, they don’t ad- the future. dress the fundamental issue – what foods we eat and why. Why secure a supply of a product Please join us. people won’t eat; why encourage consumption of a product that cannot be secured long term? www.arup.com/ Havana is often held up as an example of good practice in urban food security... Read the rest thoughts of the article @ http://thoughts.arup.com/post/details/238/watching-what-we-eat-key-to-food- security

We shape a better world | www.arup.com Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au CONTENTS 1 3 A global land rush? Look at the facts By Derek Byerlee 7 The scramble for natural resources: how science can help By Frank Rijsberman The scramble for natural resources: how science can help (Page 7)

5 Crawford Fund tackles the issues 12 Australia should lead action on soil crisis 10 13 Helping farmers innovate to harvest more The slumbering giant: land and water degradation from less By Andrew Noble 15 More than one way to view urban impact on agriculture 18 ACOLA projects a real opportunity for ATSE

AustrAliAn AcAdemy of technologicAl sciences And engineering (Atse)

number 175 december 2012 19 Australia needs a healthcare “assistive technology” network 19 ATSE backs science teacher training

Front cover: Taking 20 Fresh Science brings out another 12 technology to the small farms. 28 Ageing means “unprecedented change” The Scramble for P hoto: CGIAR NaTural reSourceS 34 ATSE in Focus more food from less land Contributors discuss how research, development and policy change can help ensure the competitors for the globe’s natural resources all get a fair go.

COPYRIGHT This publication contains copyright material. Some of the material is owned by Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Ltd ACN 008 520 394 (ATSE) and some material is owned by others. All copyright and other intellectual property rights in the materials remain with the owner. No material in this publication may be copied (except as legally allowed) or further disseminated without the express and written permission of the holder of that copyright. ATSE Focus is produced to stimulate discussion and public policy initiatives on key Copyright © ATSE 2012 topics of interest to the Academy and the PUBLISHER nation. Many articles are contributed by ATSE Fellows with expertise in these areas. Opinion CEO: Dr Margaret Hartley FTSE ACN 008 520 394 Editor: Bill Mackey ABN 58 008 520 394 articles will be considered for publication. Print Post Publication No 341403/0025 ISSN 1326-8708 Items between 800 and 1400 words are Australian Academy of preferred. Please address comments, Technological Sciences and Design and production: suggested topics and article for publication to Engineering (ATSE) Coretext 03 9670 1168 www.coretext.com.au [email protected]. Address: Level 1, 1 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne Deadline for the receipt of copy for next edition Postal Address: GPO Box 4055, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 of Focus is 18 January 2013. Telephone: 03 9864 0900 Facsimile: 03 9864 0930 Email: [email protected]

Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 3

A global land rush? Look at the facts Australia is the only high-income country among the top 10 countries with apparent potential to increase cultivated area.

By Derek Byerlee [email protected]

rowing food demand from a rising While there are major uncertainties in Agribusiness operations seek farmland and more affluent global population the above projections, they hint at growing 1to either expand the scale of operations and increasing use of land for land scarcity, with remaining land suited or to integrate forward or backward non-food purposes such as biofuels to bring into cultivation concentrated in a to production of raw materials. Ghave translated into higher commodity few countries. Further, expansion of farm Financial entities such as pension prices and increased competition for land. area could have significant environmental 2funds and equity funds find it This has led to a surge of investments in costs, even in the non-forested areas attractive to invest in farmland for farmland in recent years, many transcending considered here, as well as social costs its potential appreciation over the national borders. Such investments are – uncultivated land almost everywhere long term and to diversify their badly needed to overcome the legacy of provides some form of livelihood, especially portfolios, especially given recent poor underinvestment in agriculture. However, to pastoralists or to farmers using extensive performance in other financial assets. where local institutions are not well agricultural systems with long fallows. Governments through sovereign wealth developed, especially land rights, they 3funds or state-owned companies from need to be carefully managed to secure Rising investment countries facing growing food shortages positive development outcomes. Improved returns in farming and relatively due to land and water scarcity seek to Globally, cultivated area – at around cheap land in some countries have translated augment food supplies by investing abroad. 1550 million hectares (M ha) – is increasing into a sharp rise in domestic and foreign Although hyped in the media, this very slowly and is actually declining in investment into farmland, largely focused on last category accounts for less than 10 per developed and transitional economies, the same countries with uncultivated land. cent of investments in farmland. reflecting success in increasing crop yields. Three broad groups of investors Surges in private investment in However, since 1990, developing countries can be distinguished: farmland, often across national borders, have brought an additional 54 M ha into P hoto: iStock production, mainly in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. A California celery crop. By 2030, the demand for additional cropland is estimated to be 160 M ha to 340 M ha, depending on productivity growth, expansion of biofuels, and losses of cropland to urbanisation and degradation. On the supply side, global analysis indicates that about 450 M ha of non- forested land suited to cropping is available to bring into cultivation. At first glance it would thus seem that land demand (even the higher estimates) can be accommodated by available uncultivated land. However, most of this uncultivated land is concentrated in 10 countries: Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Chad and Zambia in sub-Saharan Africa; Brazil and Argentina in Latin America; Russia; and Australia. Much of it is far from ports and roads and will require major investments in infrastructure to gain access to markets. december 12 Focus 4 the scramble for natural resources www.atse.org.au

have been observed in the past in periods of where imperfections in other markets, support improvements in land governance steep commodity price increases. However, especially marketing and access to finance, and policies. These changes include the magnitude of the interest in land provided advantages to large operations recognition of local rights, transparent acquisition following the 2008 commodity well beyond the production stage. In an mechanisms to transfer rights voluntarily – price spike seems unprecedented. undistorted policy environment, owner- instead of having them expropriated by the United Nations Conference on Trade operated farms continue to be the pillar of state – and public institutions with clear and Development (UNCTAD) data point production agriculture, as in Australia. mandates and sufficient capacity to prevent towards a jump in foreign investment in negative social or environmental effects. farming from some $1.5 billion in 2001–06 Opportunity or risk? Additional provisions for local to more than $5 billion in 2008, nearly all of The growing private sector interest in employment content, training and it directed toward developing countries. Some agriculture presents a major opportunity technology transfer would help spread the claim – based largely on media reports – that for developing countries to capture much- benefits to local smallholders. In all cases, more than 200 M ha of land (equivalent to needed access to capital, modern technology there is a clear need for greater transparency 14 per cent of total cultivated area) has been and new markets to spur agricultural in processing such investments and transferred to investors globally since 2000. growth and employment. However, despite the monitoring of outcomes. In practice much less land seems to have been this potential, development outcomes have Although this appears a daunting list, transferred and only a fraction of what has often been much less favorable. Neglect there are good examples to draw from been transferred is actually used. Indeed, of social and environmental norms is which indicate that the benefits from field verification generally finds much lower widespread, implying a danger of a ‘race implementing these reforms could be high. estimates of investments being implemented to the bottom’ to attract investors. Economically viable investments can: on the ground, especially in Africa. Where land tenure is not well defined or ¢ provide benefits through capital for land governance is weak, investments have physical and social infrastructure; Rise of ‘superfarms’ often infringed on the rights of traditional ¢ generate jobs; Associated with growing investment in users, without compensation. Large land ¢ provide access to new markets and farming has been a dramatic rise in the size transactions are often not well recorded, technology for local producers; and of some farming operations. The largest lack transparency and do not adequately ¢ raise local or national tax revenue. crop-based farms in the world are now consult with local communities. These As expected, outcomes are best in developing and transitional countries problems are most severe in sub-Saharan where investments are made in situations of Latin America and Eastern Europe. Africa where formal land markets and land where property rights are already well Operational units that often exceed titling are generally absent. There, such defined and land markets work well. 10,000 ha are further horizontally integrated transfers often reduce tenure security to local into ‘superfarms’ that control hundreds of communities, threaten local livelihoods Should Australia be concerned? thousands of hectares, with the largest now and increase the likelihood of conflict. Australia is the only high-income country approaching a million hectares of good crop Emphasis on large farms also risks among the top 10 countries with apparent land and sales above $1 billion annually. growing inequality in land ownership, with potential to increase cultivated area. With Business models generally depart negative consequences for broad-based well-developed institutions and markets, substantially from that of family farming, rural development and future growth. Australian agriculture, as elsewhere in often separating ownership, management Farmland ownership and operation is now the developed world, is overwhelmingly and labour, and vertically integrating highly concentrated in several countries dominated by family farms. However, with processing, marketing and export of Eastern Europe and central Brazil. there have historically been considerable logistics. The largest companies, although Environmental concerns have also large-scale investments in the tropical home-grown, are traded publicly in surfaced especially where land expansion north, especially in the cattle industry. international equity markets and occurs at the expense of tropical forests, An Australian Bureau of Statistics operate across countries within a region as with pastures in Latin America survey in 2010 estimated some 44 M ha of and increasingly at a global level. and oil palm in South-East Asia. land with full or partial foreign ownership. The recent interest by corporate Finally, even economic benefits are Our review of the size and location of these investors and investment funds in very often compromised by lack of technology properties acquired indicates that all but large farms reflects a number of factors. and land speculation – especially where about 1 M ha was for extensive grazing. Developments in technology – such as large land is provided through government In the past investors have also tried to machinery, zero tillage, genetically modified channels free or at very low prices. For establish large-scale crop production in organisms (GMOs), and information and all these reason investments in Africa the north. Difficult soils and unreliable satellite technology – have made it easier often fail, with lasting damage to rainfall often led to failure of such ventures, for companies to manage very large farms. communities and the environment. for example in the state-led Peak Downs The experience of Latin America Scheme in Queensland in the 1940s has shown that, with advances in Land governance and at least three private projects in the technology and new business models, Higher global interest in farmland Northern Territory in the 1960s and 1970s, large farms can be globally competitive. demands clear responses from governments, each targeting more than 100,000 ha. But true ‘superfarms’ have emerged only private sector and the global community to With high commodity prices, there has Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 5

been a resurgence of investor interest of such investments could also lead to although no prior approval is needed. in northern crop agriculture, this time significant concentration of land ownership Transparency of this type seems to have with emphasis on irrigated farming. that could change the face of Australia’s gone a long way toward reducing fears of In Australia’s main cropping areas, rural communities. However, given foreign ownership of farmland in the US. investors are seeking properties that they the current level of activity and more Australia has been a world leader in consider are significantly undervalued relative profitable opportunities elsewhere, these arguing for free trade and investment to production potential given available concerns are unlikely to materialise. in agriculture and is one of the very few technology and the market outlook. National security concerns are countries to practise what it preaches. Since product, financial and land sometimes raised about the potential for Australia has been a beneficiary of moves markets work well in Australia, and its foreign investors to buy up assets in a toward freer trade and investment, and highly skilled farmers have access to a strategic sector such as food production, indeed some Australian companies invest world-class R&D system, opportunities especially if the investor is a sovereign in farmland abroad. In an increasingly for finding undervalued properties are wealth fund or state-owned company globalised world Australia needs to not likely to be plentiful. Some investors with close links to a potentially hostile maintain this open-door spirit. may see opportunities in vertically government. However, these concerns integrated industries such as sugar, are more likely to be relevant to the Derek Byerlee from Orroroo, South Australia, is an dairy and cattle feedlots, where they agricultural inputs, processing and trading adviser and consultant to a number of international have the capital to apply state-of-the-art sectors where purchase of one or a few large organisations. Formerly he was Rural Strategy technologies across the value chain. companies could secure significant market Adviser for the World Bank and Co-Director of the Concerns about foreign investment power, than for farmland purchases. 2008 World Development Report: Agriculture for in Australia centre on speculation, land The immediate priority is to establish Development. Before joining the World Bank he concentration and national security. a more transparent system for monitoring was Director of Economics at the International On speculation, it is possible that foreign investment in farmland to provide Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico, and investors with deep pockets looking to up-to-date and reliable information on Associate Professor at Michigan State University. diversify their portfolios could bid the who is investing where, both individually He has worked extensively in Africa, Asia and Latin price of land above its use value for the as well as in aggregate. This could follow America, and published widely in several fields of short to medium term, making it difficult the US system that requires foreigners to agricultural development. He is a co-author of the for family farmers to profitably expand. report holdings of agricultural and forest recent book Rising Global Interest in Farm Land: Can Over the long term, a large number land to the US Secretary of Agriculture, it Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits? Crawford tackles the scramble for natural resources

The Crawford Fund’s annual Parliamentary Conference in Canberra needed much more integrated approaches across whole landscapes and focused on global food security under the title The Scramble for Natural regions that sought to optimise multiple objectives. Resources – more food from less land. The conference was opened by Senator Bob Carr, Minister for A stellar panel of international experts surveyed the key challenge of Foreign Affairs. Sir how best to feed an extra 2 to 3 billion people over coming decades. John Beddington, Professor Andrew Campbell, Director of the Research Institute for UK Government Senator Carr opens Environment and Livelihoods at Charles Darwin University, reported that Chief Scientific the conference. delegates heard from Professor Jonathon Foley, University of Minnesota, Adviser, presented that the world probably has enough land, nutrients and water in the Sir John Crawford aggregate. But major distributional and degradation problems needed to Memorial Lecture, be fixed if widespread famine and inequity were to be averted, he said. titled ’Agriculture: the Recent food price spikes seemed likely to recur. Expert consensus was challenges of the 21st that the era of declining real food prices is over. century’. The conference heard that about 40 per cent of global food is grown not for people, but for animals and for fuel and – of the food produced for Theme authors humans – up to 40 per cent was wasted. of this edition of Changing consumption patterns (increasing meat consumption Focus were among with rising wealth in developing countries) was probably a bigger driver the presenters of food insecurity than population growth, but there were real limits at the 2012 to agriculture expanding its footprint, and the “scramble for natural Crawford Fund resources” was an apt title. Parliamentary Delegates heard that false dichotomies – urban vs rural, organic vs Conference. GM, food vs energy and forested vs cleared lands – were not helpful. With more than half the world’s population now living in cities, the world

Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 7

The scramble for natural resources: how science can help Science now needs to find a way to increase food productivity by about 50 per cent over the next four decades – without using more land and water.

By Frank Rijsberman [email protected]

oday, we are facing humanity’s decades, but since these increases have of cheap food in Asia, Latin America, the greatest challenge. The food price to feed an ever-increasing population, Near East and the Middle East. Billions of spikes that began in 2008, along the percentage increase has actually gone people escaped starvation, but the increased with the ensuing scramble for down from about three per cent to slightly yields also led to complacency, neglect Tnatural resources that these sparked, more than one per cent. And that’s not and a drop in support for agriculture. have served as a massive wake-up call. enough to sustain future populations. But we can improve these productivities. Declining agricultural yields, a drop In addition, there is every indication in support for agricultural research, that the yields for rice, wheat and maize Closing yield gaps depleted natural resources and climatic are beginning to level off, posing a far If we look at some of the results coming out changes are just some of the factors that greater challenge for us if we aim to build of the International Water Management have brought us to the brink of disaster. on and increase that productivity. Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR member If we are to feed future populations These relative decreases in productivity centre, and the work it is undertaking without destroying the environment can be traced back to the Green Revolution with the CGIAR Challenge Program on further, we are going to have to learn of the 1960s and 1970s. By working Water and Food in a number of major river how to do much more with much less. with researchers from the International basins, we will see that water productivity The Food and Agriculture Maize and Wheat Improvement Center is very low in these areas. The current cereal Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (CIMMYT), Norman Borlaug helped productivity in almost all of these basins, tells us that our world population is likely develop semi-dwarf, high-yielding which together are home to more than a to grow from seven billion to more than varieties of cereal grains which, together billion people and more than 50 per cent of nine billion by 2050, requiring about a with increased fertiliser use and massive the poorest people in the world, is between 70 per cent increase in food production. investments in irrigation, led to the 0.2 to 0.5 kilograms against a potential of Another FAO estimate indicates that doubling of yields and abundant supplies 1 to 2 kilograms per cubic metre of water at least 75 per cent of that increase P hoto: IRRI will have to come from land already being used for agricultural purposes. A Filipina farmer Science now needs to find a way to with heirloom variety rice. increase food productivity by about 50 per cent over the next four decades – without using more land and water. Such an increase is likely to come from the people who currently experience low yields: small-scale farmers in developing countries, the majority of whom are women. And science needs to help them achieve those increases in a climate-smart way. So this is the focus and mandate of publicly funded agricultural research, and the largest group of researchers in that arena come from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). So is it possible? Absolute yields of key cereals have increased steadily over the past five december 12 Focus 8 the scramble for natural resources www.atse.org.au

used. As such, there is a huge potential soils, no access to fertiliser, or no money molecular biology, which has, over to intensify agriculture in these areas. to buy fertiliser. They might not have seed the past decade, changed the way our CGIAR has the scientific know-how companies bringing them new seeds, or scientists do business, both in their to close some of these yield gaps, and not roads to take their product to market. Their CGIAR centres and with their partners. just in terms of water. For example, the governments might not have extension Then there is the IT revolution, which International Rice Research Institute policies that can help them be part of the is relevant even today, not just to Australian (IRRI), another CGIAR member centre value chain that could enable them to farmers, but also to smallholder farmers. headquartered in the Philippines, has process their rice. But this does mean that For example, laser land levelling, which paddy fields on its extensive campus there is a whole series of things that we can offers great potential for water savings that have been producing three crops do to help, none of them necessarily easy. and higher grain yields, is becoming of rice a year, with each crop yielding Of course, just because the yields are increasingly popular with farmers about seven tonnes, for a total of 21 only two tonnes doesn’t mean that we everywhere. More and more farmers tonnes of rice per hectare from the same know how to increase them immediately. are also using mobile phones to access piece of land. Of course these crops are Many of the low yields in Africa are caused extension services and market information. cultivated under ideal conditions – fertile by disease. So we need to use science With the help of countries such as soils and plenty of water, coupled with a to help develop new crop varieties that Australia, which is supporting publicly meticulous crop-management strategy. are disease resistant. This will require a funded research in agriculture, CGIAR Outside the gates of IRRI, farmers constant effort, but we do take hope from is ready to take advantage of these and get only two crops of about four knowing that there is a crop yield gap, other scientific opportunities. IRRI, for tonnes each per hectare per year, which and that there is tremendous potential example, has received a large grant from means eight tonnes rather than 21. in science today to help us close it. the Australian Centre for International In Africa, the smallholders who grow Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to build rice in rain-fed upland valleys might The potential? new labs and buy new equipment. get as little as one crop of two tonnes Two trends are having a big impact on CGIAR doesn’t have a separate per hectare per year. However, such science for tomorrow’s agriculture. program on genetic research, but a situation does have potential. First, there is the life science genetics certainly cut across all of Those farmers might have problem revolution that is being propelled by our programs. Molecular breeding

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www.coretext.com.au T 03 9670 1168 | F 03 9670 1127 | PO Box 12542, Melbourne VIC 8006, Australia | 43 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051, Australia Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 9

P hoto: CGIAR/ILRI Stevie Mann forms the basis of much of the work carried out today by our 15 centres. In almost all of the centres, the application of molecular breeding to understand the genetic diversity in our gene banks was just a dream 10 years ago, but today it’s a reality. Centres like IRRI are now not only breeding plants that have a higher productivity or are disease resistant, but they are also breeding plants that are resistant to abiotic stresses, which wasn’t possible 10 years ago. One of the key genes discovered by IRRI enables rice to be submergence tolerant. Almost all the hybrid rice varieties today have incorporated this gene and are available to farmers on a wide scale. To date, CGIAR has developed more than 7000 improved varieties and released them as public goods. Worldwide, 60 per cent of all land planted with improved varieties includes varieties produced from CGIAR centres. Australia, which ranks among the world’s top 10 wheat-producing countries, devotes as much as 98 per cent of the area sown to wheat in the country to varieties developed by CIMMYT. CGIAR is also the custodian of very large collections of plant genetic material with the necessary diversity on which we can build. We also need more holistic approaches that span from the microscope to the marketplace – approaches that not only integrate the latest science and technology Harvesting sorghum in India. to breed better varieties, more quickly, but also use effective strategies to get Although the food price spikes in Dr Frank Rijsberman has more than 30 years’ those varieties to small-scale farmers. recent years have led to a scramble for experience as a researcher and consultant in natural natural resources, they have also put resources management in developing, transition CGIAR research food security back at the top of the and developed economies. He is CEO of the CGIAR CGIAR research puts real benefits into agenda. We certainly feel that science Consortium. He moved to the role in May 2012 from farmers’ hands. And we are getting better can help grow more food using less a position as the Director of the Water, Sanitation at making sure that our innovations land and less water, thereby limiting and Hygiene Division of the Bill & Melinda reach the farmers who need them. our natural resources footprint. Gates Foundation. Prior to that he led Google’s We understand how to influence CGIAR has a promising agenda philanthropic team after serving as Director- real people, and not just by increasing that harnesses the potential of science. General of the International Water Management productivity. In recent years, for We are also pleased that our work Institute (IWMI) (one of the 15 CGIAR Consortium example, we have focused on growing benefits Australia and are very grateful Research Centres) from 2000–07. At IWMI he more nutritional crops. Many of our that Australia is a strong supporter of initiated the comprehensive assessment of water impact stories can be found on the international research and agriculture management in agriculture and developed and led CGIAR website (www.cgiar.org). through ACIAR and AusAID. the Challenge Program on Water and Food.

Let t ers ATSE Focus welcomes letters from readers in response to teo th published article or on technological science and related topics. Erdito Please keep letters brief. Longer letters may be run as contributed articles. Please address to [email protected] december 12 Focus 10 the scramble for natural resources www.atse.org.au

The slumbering giant: land and water degradation The dramatic growth in food production has largely been achieved by two billion small-scale farmers who feed themselves and produce surpluses for local markets.

By Andrew Noble [email protected]

his year – the Australian Year of While the importance of farmers and considered a ‘slumbering giant’? As the the Farmer – is a year in which we their production systems to overall global significance of these problems and the acknowledge the contribution that food security is understood, the ability of challenges associated with reversing them our farming communities have made these systems to continue to perform this are enormous, they receive little attention Tto putting food on the tables of Australians function, along with increasing output on the global agenda and have considerable and others far from these shores. to meet future demand, is questioned. implications for future food supplies. Over the past 50 years, Australian Yield stagnation and, in some cases, Our goal as a global community should farmers and other farmers, predominantly the decline in several of our grain- be to address these issues head-on and ensure small-scale, have kept pace with global food production systems, is a concern for those that the ‘slumbering giant’ does not awaken. demand and contributed to decreasing charged with ensuring future global the proportion of people in the world food supplies. Human-induced land All is not well that go hungry, despite a doubling of and water degradation and associated There is clear evidence to suggest that the total global population. This is an provisioning of ecosystem services (that human activities have pushed the incredible achievement by any measure. is, benefits from a multitude of resources Earth’s systems outside their stable It is often not recognised that this and processes that are supplied by natural environmental state, with consequences dramatic growth in food production has ecosystems) threaten the integrity of both that could lead to irreversible and, largely been achieved by two billion small- small and large farming systems and their in some cases, abrupt environmental scale farmers, who, in addition to feeding ability to meet future food demand. change. That, in turn, could lead to themselves, also produce surpluses for sale Soil erosion, nutrient depletion, conditions that restrict global growth. in local domestic markets. These domestic desertification, groundwater and surface Indeed, recent evidence suggests that we markets, along with the food consumed by water pollution, and loss of biodiversity have exceeded three of the nine ‘planetary the farmers and their families, constitute are just some of the challenges that boundaries’ that ensure our planet’s survival. more than 70 per cent of the world’s food have confronted agricultural and urban Climate change, rate of biodiversity loss consumption and are often overlooked communities for decades. Yet, addressing and the nitrogen cycle, all of which have in the food security debate. They are the these issues continues to elude us. strong linkages to the agricultural sector, current engine of global food production. Why is land and water degradation are now thought to be beyond the stable state for maintaining healthy ecosystems. Sadly, the success of our agrarian sector B ox 1 The impacts of human-induced land and water degradation has been a major player in contributing to the breaching of these boundaries. Globally, approximately 25% of all land is classified as being highly degraded, with a mere 10% being This has occurred through our insatiable classified with improving conditions. consumption of nitrogenous fertilisers and More than one billion hectares is affected by water erosion. the use of nitrogen-fixing legume species; a dependence on fossil fuels and the massive Approximately 549 million hectares (M ha) of land suffer from wind erosion. changes in vegetation cover associated Approximately 34 M ha of the global irrigated area is affected by salinisation, representing a with land clearing for agriculture, thereby significant lost opportunity and underutilisation of investments in infrastructure. contributing to increasing greenhouse It is estimated that 25% of the global freshwater storage capacity will be lost in the next 25 to 50 years, gases in our atmosphere; and the loss of unless measures are taken to control sedimentation in reservoirs. biodiversity and of mass species extinction. The litany of issues that confront Approximately two million tonnes (M t) of waste is dumped into rivers, lakes and wetlands each day, causing eutrophication, and hypoxia and algal blooms. us with respect to land and water degradation, globally, are well documented It is estimated that there are now 12,000 cubic kilometres of polluted water on the planet, and portray a dismal assessment of which is a volume greater than the contents of the world’s 10 biggest river basins. the impact of agriculture (Box 1). Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 11

P hoto: Nadia Manning, IWMI The degradation issues highlighted above are not exhaustive, but represent the major challenges that we face in land and water degradation as we move into an era where stability in the Earth’s systems will be the exception rather than the rule. In short, the catalogue of land and water degradation issues that confront us all contribute to diminishing the ability of vital ecosystems and landscapes to support functions and services required to sustain mankind.

A wicked problem The issue of land, and we should include water, degradation has been described as a ‘wicked problem’ by the Australian Public Service. Wicked problems commonly have the following attributes, they: ¢ are difficult to define; ¢ have many inter-dependencies and are often multi-causal; ¢ often lead to unforeseen consequences when addressed; ¢ are often unstable; ¢ usually have no clear solution; ¢ are socially complex; and ¢ often involve changing of behaviour. Tomatoes Climate change and obesity are on sale in a Uzbekistan similarly classified as wicked problems, market. and one could argue that the challenges in managing the Murray–Darling Basin would also fall into this category. size of the Australian Capital Territory. arid and arid regions. However, there is While the term ‘wicked’ conjures Food supplies from sustainable significant potential in bringing these up in the mind a sense of hopelessness intensification have been multiplicative salinised areas back into production to or despair in resolving the problem, as (that is, yields per hectare have increased contribute to meeting future food demand a community we should see the issues by combining the use of new and and to also prevent further salinisation. as a challenge that will require science, improved varieties, and new agronomic/ To place this in perspective, policy and politics to address them. We agro-ecological management) – crop one could theoretically estimate the should not simply accept that there are no yields rose, on average, by 2.13-fold – and foregone yield associated with land solutions because it is a wicked problem. additive (diversification has resulted in the retirement in irrigated command areas There is cause for cautious optimism that emergence of a range of new crops, livestock due to salinisation. Assuming that the the tide may be slowly turning. An analysis or fish that have added to the existing staple 34 million hectares of currently affected of 40 projects and programs in 20 countries crops or vegetables already being cultivated). salinised land were brought back into in Africa, where sustainable intensification Furthermore, there are opportunities production to yield a conservative annual was developed during the 1990s and 2000s, to reverse the impacts of land and water production potential of four tonnes of has revealed some interesting insights degradation. Take, for example, salinisation grain per hectare, the potential production into the impact of these interventions. of irrigated land. We, as land and irrigation generated would be 136 million tonnes By early 2010, these projects had managers, have resigned ourselves to the of grain annually – about 20 per cent produced documented benefits for more fact that an accepted consequence of of the global wheat yield in 2010-11. than 10 million farmers and their families irrigated agriculture is salinisation and, At current wheat prices of US$314 per and improvements on approximately in extreme cases, land abandonment, tonne, the potential increase in production 12.75 million hectares, an area 54 times the particularly when practiced in semi- associated with rehabilitation of these

C ontributions Opinion pieces on technological science and related topics, a re welcome preferably between 600 and 1400 words, will be considered for publication. They must list the full name of the author, if a Fellow of the Academy. Other contributors should provide their full name, title/role and organisation (if relevant) and email address. Please address to [email protected] december 12 Focus 12 the scramble for natural resources www.atse.org.au

lands would realise an economic windfall the practicalities of addressing these resource of US$42.7 billion on an annual basis. degradation issues, have been developed. Senior Fellow with the International Water Finally, it makes sound economic However, adoption of these interventions Management Institute (IWMI) based in Colombo, sense to address this ‘slumbering giant’ of at scale has been disappointing. Sri Lanka, Dr Andrew Noble was formerly the degradation. This can be achieved through The central challenge facing government Research Program Manager for the Land and Water the promotion of more conservation- institutions, and development and research Resources program of the Australian Centre for oriented approaches to land and water organisations tasked with sustainably International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and degradation, which promotes sustainable securing future food supplies, are formerly Regional Director for IWMI for South-East intensification of our production systems, developing greater insights into constraints and Central Asia. He has also held roles as Principal and the rehabilitation of land and water inhibiting adoption of productivity- Research Scientist with CSIRO Land and Water; resources through investments. enhancing and conserving interventions, Project Leader and Principal Research Scientist with In the latter case, the example and identifying the drivers and relevant the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research; of bringing irrigated salinised lands levers to address these constraints. and lecturer in the department of Crop Science, back into production makes sound We should not leave it to these bodies to University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. His economic sense that will contribute to ensure that this happens. As a community, research career in agriculture spans more than meeting future global food demand. we should take responsibility in doing our 30 years and includes research and academic Technologies, technology packages and bit to make it happen and ensure that the assignments in South Africa, Australia and South- management practices, which demonstrate ‘slumbering giant’ does not awaken. East and Central Asia. Australia should lead action on soil crisis Australia should lead a renewed global effort to reverse the alarming high global food prices, by refugee floods, and trade and conflict issues degradation and contamination of the world’s food-producing soils, which may arise out of the collapse of farming systems in other parts of according to soil scientist and soil science prize winner Professor Ravi Naidu. the world. The Managing Director of Australia’s CRC for Contamination “If we want to mitigate those risks, both to ourselves, to others and to Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) and global stability, we need to apply our high levels of skill and knowledge in this year’s recipient of the International Soil Science Award, presented managing soils to more international as well as to Australian challenges.” annually by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), Professor Naidu Professor Naidu said he was delighted at the recent announcement said global estimates of the amount of agricultural and pastoral soil lost by Prime Minister Julia Gillard of an Australian Working Group on Water, each year range from 75 to 100 billion tonnes. Soil and Food headed by the former Governor-General, Major-General “That’s over 10 tonnes a year for each person on Earth,” Professor Michael Jeffery. Naidu said. “Furthermore, a satellite study by the United Nations Food “I strongly commend the Government for this forward-looking and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed about one per cent of the move, which is part of the $700 million ‘sustainable agriculture’ stream world’s farm land has been lost every year for the past quarter century. in the next phase of the Caring for our Country program. It shows Such rates of degradation are completely real leadership regarding soils issues in unsustainable and risk exhausting the Australia. world’s food-producing soils within two to “Australia’s soils are old, leached and low three generations.” in organic matter and excessive cultivation Professor Naidu said soil loss and can impact what’s called the critical zone contamination was a ‘sleeping giant’ – the soil lying between the plant and the among various threats to global food groundwater table. Once soils in this zone security – and had suffered international are depleted, it is not possible to replenish neglect for decades. them. Also, a significant proportion is now “Millions of tonnes of soil can be lost affected by salinity. All this is relevant to in minutes in a bad storm or flood event, domestic food security. as we saw only last year in Australia – and “However, we must also recognise that as America has just experienced. Yet new Australia will not be secure if the world as a soil takes from thousands to millions of whole is food-insecure. We are connected years to form.” to the world, especially to Asia, where soils Professor Naidu said the FAO’s most face major pressures. recent State of the World’s Land and Water “There is an opportunity not only Report (SoLaW) had highlighted that more for Australia to help its neighbours deal than half the Earth’s land surface was now with an seriously intractable problem, but degraded – while only 10 per cent of it also to generate substantial new export was improving. income around smart technologies for Ravi Naidu “While Australia may have a food getting into overcoming soil, water and environmental surplus, we can still be affected by very soils research. problems associated with agriculture.” Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 13

Helping farmers innovate to harvest more from less Our highest priority has to be to improve resources, systems and methods of extension around the world in order to make better use of what we already know. ictures P anos P By Trevor Nicholls , [email protected] orfinn T

o feed a global population rising quick wins in the ven from seven billion now to nine war on hunger. :

billion by 2050 we must make Biotechnology hoto P S the same level of agricultural may, in the future, Tproductivity increase in the next 40 years as deliver crops with we have achieved in the previous 12,000. greater tolerance This must be achieved in the face of heat and water of a perfect storm of rising energy stresses, resistance prices, dwindling mineral resources, a to pests or saline shortage of water and climate change. conditions or Simply increasing the area of even enable the agricultural land is no longer an easy fundamental option, with increasing demands to use re-engineering of land for housing, mining, reservoirs, nutrient content, recreation or national parks. Nor are we nitrogen fixation working on a level playing field – rising and photosynthetic incomes around the world increase the efficiency in demand for meat and dairy products, some crops. requiring higher inputs of fodder and water Recent advances per calorie or kilogram produced, while and cost reduction increasing overall greenhouse gas emissions. in sequencing now Furthermore, yields from current make it possible varieties of rice, wheat and maize to accelerate the could decline significantly, particularly introduction of in the tropics, if the predicted rises desirable traits in temperature materialise. through traditional To achieve food security at household, plant breeding community or national level we can techniques that seek to either produce more food or have been used to buy more. In relation to producing for hundreds of more, there are two sides to the equation years. Instead of Plantwise plant clinic during market day in the village of Wangigi, – to grow more and to lose less. patiently making in the Kikuyu district of Kenya. If farmers earn more they can improve crosses and waiting to their diet by buying a wider variety of see if the resulting plants have the desired and appearance can be achieved through food, and can also weather supply shocks. characteristics when they grow, we can more conventional breeding approaches. The focus of most research effort is on now identify the genes responsible for the In seeking to reduce crop losses, it is finding ways to grow more and this will desired traits and check whether they have essential to take a systematic approach, be essential to meet the challenge, albeit been brought together in the breeding taking into account the soil conditions, that these gains will be in the longer term. process by using molecular markers. environment, pests and weeds around However, we lose an average of 40 per Work by the World Vegetable a crop, as well as site selection, crop cent of what we already grow to pests, Centre (AVRDC) on products such as husbandry, storage and transport to weeds and diseases – we already have much tomato and eggplant show how many market. Integrated crop management of the knowledge needed to reduce these of the desired characteristics of stress practices must be rooted in a good losses and this can give us some valuable tolerance, nutritional quality, flavour understanding of interactions between december 12 Focus 14 the scramble for natural resources www.atse.org.au

Plantwise disseminates and gathers knowledge in two ways: locally, via Supporting farmers a network of plant clinics in the developing world, to help the poorest Farming is sustainable when the farmers farmers by diagnosing plant health problems and giving them a suitable make a living that motivates them ‘prescription’; and globally, via a knowledge bank of data and information to stay and farm rather than seeking ... Plantwise has already trained more than 1000 plant doctors, supporting their fortune in the cities. Improving 354 plant clinics in 24 countries. smallholder productivity is essential for increasing food supply, but we must biology, land management and the broader at ways to increase the reach of extension also enable them to farm as a business. landscape to ensure that agricultural services whilst still maintaining We help connect farmers to markets and practices are sustainable and serve as a the impact of their messages. get a fairer share of the value they create. foundation for future generations. In Bangladesh, we have used For example, in Tanzania we have helped CABI is one of nine organisations community videos, made by the women tomato growers implement integrated pest forming the Association of Independent of the villages themselves, to spread the management (IPM) techniques to reduce Research and Development Centers for word of best practices and new techniques pesticide residues, develop branding for Agriculture (AIRCA), which seeks to for identifying quality seed, drying it their produce and establish producer clubs develop and promulgate approaches to and storing it for future harvests. so as to sell into higher value markets. the creation of healthy landscapes. In Africa, with funding from the In the implementation of innovation, In much of Africa and Asia there are Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, partnerships with the private sector large gaps between actual and optimum we have set up the African Soil Health will be essential. At the simplest level, yields for most crops. In closing these, Consortium as a communication new seeds, inputs or technology must we need to use water as a very precious platform to make knowledge on be available to farmers through local resource, promote better soil health and soil health available to extension agro-dealers at reasonable prices and in reduce the losses due to pests and diseases. workers, agro-dealers and farmers. appropriate package sizes. Even then There are already many In India, in a partnership with the the initial cash outlay and financial risk well-known technologies and leading mobile network operator (Airtel) may seem too much for a small farmer. approaches in all of these areas: and fertiliser supplier (IFFCO), we By reducing acquisition and ¢ mulching, drip irrigation, greywater have supported a mobile agro-advisory transaction costs, as well as offering and alternate wetting and drying network serving four million subscribing novel methods of payments – such as (for rice) to reduce water usage; farmers with voicemail messages on m-PESA, a mobile money transfer service ¢ micro-fertilisation, manure, composting, a variety of relevant topics including (‘pesa’ is Swahili for money) – mobile crop rotation and use of legumes to weather, market information, pest technologies are stimulating innovation promote better soil health; and alerts and crop management advice. by making novel offerings of micro-credit ¢ integrated pest management, cultural Plantwise is a major initiative, led by and crop micro-insurance possible. techniques and biological control to CABI with financial support from donors Meeting the challenge of feeding a minimise the use of chemical pesticides. in the UK (DFID), Switzerland (SDC) growing population will require farmers Despite this, many farmers in the and Australia (ACIAR), to bring better to produce more from less. This is not just developing world are not aware of these knowledge and advice to farmers on pests about funding agricultural research focused techniques or have not adopted them. and diseases to reduce losses and improve on growing more. If we are to succeed we If we are to meet the food security quality. Plantwise is disseminating and must enable innovation through better challenge over the next 50 years our gathering knowledge in two ways: methods of disseminating technology, learn highest priority has to be to improve ¢ locally, via a network of plant clinics what works and what does not and integrate resources, systems and methods of in the developing world, to help this within a framework of supportive extension around the world in order to the poorest farmers by diagnosing economic and environmental policies. make better use of what we already know. plant health problems and giving them a suitable ‘prescription’; and Dr Trevor Nicholls has been Chief Executive Effective technology adoption ¢ globally, via a knowledge bank of Officer of CABI since 2005, during which time Extension in the developing world often data and information that supports CABI has developed a strategic focus on providing takes the form of a face-to-face farm the clinics but also aggregates and knowledge to enable poor rural farmers in the visit by an extension worker or relies on analyses their observations. developing world to grow more, raise quality and the use of mass media channels such as The clinics are run by local extension increase income. CABI is leading Plantwise, a global advertising in newspapers. The former staff, so they use existing resources but initiative to increase food security by reducing has high impact but limited reach since are able to have high-impact interactions losses to pests and diseases. Previously, his career the number of extension workers is with many more farmers. Plantwise covered experience of building international low and farms may be far apart, while has already trained more than 1000 businesses in the genomics and life science newspaper or radio campaigns can plant doctors, supporting 354 plant industries serving major pharmaceutical, biotech reach a lot of people but tend to be clinics in 24 countries. By 2016 CABI and academic clients. He has broad experience of non-specific and have low impact. is targeting to expand coverage to more initiating change and restructuring organisations, CABI and others have been looking than 40 countries and 1000 clinics. ranging from start-ups to quoted companies. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au the scramble for natural resources 15

M ore than one way to view urban impact on agriculture Blaming urban planning for urban sprawl, or expecting it to solve the problem alone, might be missing the root cause of the symptom.

By Xuemei Bai [email protected]

hen the term urbanisation its population on less than one-third of that in China, urban land expansion is not appears in the agriculture and the world’s average per capita arable land. only the consequence of economic growth food security debate it is almost Considering the fact that cities are in cities, but also a driver of such growth. always as a problem or culprit, often located in some of the most fertile It might be very difficult for China to try Wdue to the fact that urbanisation often agricultural area in the world, the impact to control urban land expansion without entails a spatial extension of urban land use, on agriculture can be larger than the sacrificing economic growth. This also and this often comes from agricultural land. amount of arable land loss might indicate. means China’s policy of stopping the In reality, the interaction between Addressing the issue of urban land loss of agriculture land for food security cities and agriculture is far more nuanced expansion and preserving agricultural land might be seriously challenged by its own and complicated, with both negative and is not an easy task. Our research shows policy of trying to promote economic positive aspects, and requires an integrated P hotos: Urban Planning Net, China approach instead of the current urban-rural Urbanisation divide in our research and policy making. in China – the difference 25 We are experiencing an unprecedented years makes – transition in human settlement through in Shenzhen. rapid urbanisation. Already more than half of the world population is living in cities. UN projections show that by 2030 an increase in urban population of 1.35 billion is expected, and if we extend that to 2050, almost all of the additional population on Earth, which is about 3 billion, will translate directly into additional urban population. Currently, about one per cent of Earth’s surface is urban and some forecast this will triple by 2030. Much of this newly established urban land might come from agricultural land, due to the co-location of cities and agricultural production. Most of the fast-growing cities are located in the developing world and there are several ‘hot spot’ regions in terms of rapid urban growth – China, India and sub-Saharan Africa. This means there will be a very strong pressure on food production concentrated in these most populated and often vulnerable regions. In China, for example, up to 80 per cent of agricultural land loss over the past decade is due to conversion into urban areas. Between 1997 and 2006, more than 12,000 square kilometres of land was converted into urban built-up area. This is of strong concern as China is currently supporting december 12 Focus 16 the scramble for natural resources www.atse.org.au

development through urbanisation. Urbanisation often entails an increase development sector barely any attention is With the presence of such a fundamental and change in food demand. Dietary paid to agriculture or food security concerns. mechanism and high-level policy conflict, changes, manifested by the rapid expansion Clearly there are opportunities as well as blaming urban planning for urban sprawl, or of fast food industry in cities, has increased challenges brought about by urbanisation. expecting it to solve the problem alone, might the demand for meat, fish and dairy The question then becomes: how can we be missing the root cause of the symptom. products. This in turn drives a structural harness and maximise the positive effects of In addition to direct impact on shift in food production, such as the need urbanisation and avoid and/or compensate arable land, urbanisation brings about for increased animal feed. Lifestyle change for the negative impacts? The first step various indirect impacts on agriculture in some cities has brought about significant towards effectively answering this question and rural communities. The social increase in hobby farming demand in might be abandoning the dichotomised impact of landscape urbanisation is peri-urban areas, an incentive for farmers approach in urban-rural or urban- mixed. Land-use changes associated with to shift away from crop production. agriculture research and policy making. urbanisation in developing countries are Our recent research suggests that found to increase social vulnerability urbanisation might contribute to an Professor Xuemei Bai is Professor in Urban in traditional farming communities in enhanced productivity, although this Environment and Human Ecology, Fenner School of peri-urban areas. In other areas, where remains as a hypothesis that needs to be Environment and Society, ANU. Her work focuses on the locals could seize the opportunity of tested through more rigorous research. urbanisation and the environment, urban system a growing major city, they have achieved In short, what happens in agriculture function and processes, urban environmental a tremendous increase in social and might actually largely be driven and governance, cities and climate change, and economic capital in peri-urban areas. determined by what happens in cities. Most innovative urban practices and urban sustainability Sansheng County, which is a peri- of the literature on food security without transition, mostly in Asia. She is Vice Chair of the urban county near the rapidly growing city fail blames cities as one of the culprits for Scientific Committee of theI nternational Human of Chengdu in China, has transformed affecting food security, but simply blaming Dimensional Program for Global Environmental itself from one of the poorest and most cities for food security doesn’t work or help. Change; Board Member of Sustainable Urban vulnerable areas into a prosperous peri- Despite the strong and multipronged Systems Chapter in the International Society of urban hobby agricultural and eco-tourism linkages, cities are largely ignored in Industrial Ecology; and a Foreign Expert Member centre, achieving more than a doubling in sustainable food production research and of the Task Force for Western Region Development per capita income and a 24-fold increase policy making. Such a siloed approach under the China Council for International in local tax revenue from 2002–06. is reciprocated – within the urban Cooperation for Environment and Development. CSIRO and Google boost land management data Detailed satellite imagery about Australian landscapes will soon be only been refining the use of satellites for observing the Earth and have a button push away for land managers in community and non-profit combined this with expert field data and environmental models to sectors through a partnership between Australian scientists and Google. contribute to landscape management. Similar vegetation-mapping tools According to CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Dr Alex Held, Director and satellite data are already in use, for example by the Australian forestry

of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network’s S P industry, and now through this partnership hoto (TERN) AusCover facility, the partnership aims with Google we can make them more widely :

to provide greater access to and international u available to non-profit and community groups z reach of Australian science. anne world-wide.

“CSIRO and TERN researchers will be able L “This really is about making people’s jobs ong to use Google’s enormous cloud computing easier as they can access and process data , power to contribute their expertise and TERN in a matter of minutes to pinpoint potential environmental data to deliver easy-to-use issues and figure out the best action to take maps and tools for millions of users world- to investigate and respond without having to wide,” Dr Held says. spend time and money with random surveys of One of the tools to be made available in huge tracts of land.” Google’s Earth Engine will be a vegetation The first of the new data tools are being monitoring tool. It will enable land managers tested in Google Earth Engine and are due to see if vegetation is in a healthy condition or out early next year. Combined with data being impacted by pests, diseases, fire or feral already freely available via CSIRO and the animals. TERN data portal, over the coming months “For land managers to manage landscapes and years, Google Earth Engine will provide effectively, they need to be able to monitor, Dr Kasper Johansen (right), AusCover Science unprecedented capability in use of satellite measure and understand changes,” Dr Held Coordinator at UQ, prepares a terrestrial laser observations for all sorts of environmental scanner to measure vegetation structure at a says. rainforest site in north Queensland. management, conservation and landscape “For decades Australian researchers have science projects. focus december 12 www.atse.org.au Women IN TSE 17

engineering programs, not retention.” F ellow helps launch Rio Tinto Energy Vice President Human Resources, Rosemary Fagen, said diversity and inclusion were great attributes to pursue in BoardLinks any organisation. “Rio Tinto has a global target to increase the number Telstra Chair Ms Catherine Livingstone AO FTSE was a key speaker at of female professional engineers across the Group. We look forward to the launch in Sydney in November of BoardLinks, a network being seeing improvement in the gender balance of qualified engineers as a established to form better connections between the Australian result of this initiative with UQ,” she said. Government and women seeking board positions. Launched by APPEA COO Eastern Region, Rick Wilkinson, said the proportion of the Finance Minister, Senator Penny Wong, BoardLinks is particularly degree-qualified female engineers in the Australian labour force last focusing on board-ready women seeking their first board appointment. year was just 12.7 per cent. “That figure needs to rise. Female engineers It plans to address one of the most significant hurdles to female are an essential part of any technical team if it is to have the full depth representation – that many boards required to compete in today’s globally competitive markets,” he said. Catherine require prior board experience as a Chief Executive Officer of API, Michael Griffin, said the partnership Livingstone prerequisite for appointment and, with UQ would provide the ‘best practice model’ for other universities, delivers the 2012 ATSE with women holding so few board both nationally and internationally, to follow. “The university will share Clunies Ross positions, this situation is self- its processes and resources developed through this program with other keynote perpetuating. universities, in order to promote engineering to young females, with the address. BoardLinks will focus on objective of increasing the proportion of women in engineering on a strategies to ensure women, who are national basis,” she said. otherwise skilled and experienced, Applications for the $71,000 to $78,000 positions closed 5 November. gain their first board appointment and also provides links to affiliated organisations that are working to ’ BEST of the WEST’ assist women to move into leadership roles at the board level. winners named Ms Livingstone is one of five BoardLinks Champions along with Women in engineering, science, mathematics and technology were company director David Gonski AC, Westpac CEO Gail Kelly, ASX CEO Elmer recognised at the Arrow Energy Best of the WEST (Go Women in Funke Kupper and business and community leader Carol Schwartz AM. Engineering Science and Technology) awards held at the University Ms Livingstone has been a Fellow since 2002 and delivered the of Southern Queensland. The awards highlight and showcase keynote address at the 2012 ATSE Clunies Ross Awards. female achievement in areas that are typically male-dominated, with nominations from industry, business, school and university sectors. “The awards are an opportunity for schools, business and industry Prtrsa ne to seek more to promote high-achieving females and their equity programs and women engineers provide role models of women who are or have the potential to be The University of Queensland is appointing a new staffer dedicated to high-achievers,” said Go WEST project leader Dr Petrea Redmond. improving gender balance in engineering studies. Guest speaker was Jo Kirby, Chair of Women for Engineering A partnership between UQ, Rio Tinto, the Australian Power Institute Queensland and Ambassador and Mentor Program Coordinator on the (API) and the Australian Petroleum and Exploration Association (APPEA) Power of Engineering Committee, a program for female students in Years will address the shortage of female students enrolling in engineering 9 and 10 to experience first-hand what an engineering career is like. programs at UQ through the establishment of a new UQ position – the An industry sponsor – Arrow Energy – supported this year’s awards Women in Engineering Development and Communications Manager. and a new award was added – the Arrow Energy Brighter Futures UQ Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and IT Executive Dean Award. The award aims to encourage women with children to return to Professor Graham Schaffer FTSE said both the university and the study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics engineering profession would benefit greatly from a more equitable (STEM) and was won by Maryborough resident Claire Barsby. gender balance of qualified engineers. Award categories included secondary school and USQ students, Rio Tinto, API and APPEA have each invested $250,000 over professional and business groups, partnerships and a USQ Indigenous five years to provide UQ with financial support to increase female award. enrolments. The national average for female students commencing study within engineering is 12 to 14 per cent, while the UQ figure is 19 to 20 per cent. “Although UQ is already above the national average for undergraduate female engineering enrolments, we know that we are not at world’s best practice and that there is still much to be done,” Professor Schaffer said. “Our data shows that female students, on average, have higher retention rates once they have commenced their engineering At the Best of the WEST awards (from left) guest speaker Jo Kirby, Skills and degrees in comparison to their male peers. The challenge we face as Training. Coordinator for Arrow Energy, Julie Lockyer, and USQ staff member an educational institution is therefore the recruitment of women into and Go WEST executive member Jacqui McDonald. december 12 Focus 18 at se in action www.atse.org.au

Government is to identify mechanisms that will move Australia to a future that maximises the ACOLA projects development and application of resources and capabilities in areas where the country has (or a real opportunity can rapidly develop) competitive advantage and minimises its effort in areas where other for ATSE countries do better. “Government has a crucial role in providing for the future by developing policy frameworks that promote creativity, avoid unhelpful constraints, and encourage Australians and their institutions to be bold, innovative and adaptive in preparing for the wide variety of changes in both domestic and global environments that we will face as a nation. “ACOLA is particularly well-placed to draw on expertise and networks of the Learned Academy Fellows to consider how these complex and diverse challenges can be addressed, and ensure the nation’s decision- making system is properly informed by the best available research.” The work will be conducted across six projects, each headed by an Expert Working Group (EWG). Each will report progressively across the next three years, with the first interim report due in November and the last in July 2015. Our Fellows provide a strong representation on these EWGs. Mr Peter Laver is Deputy Chair of Project #1 Australia’s comparative advantage and Mr David Hind is a member of the EWG for Project #2 STEM: Country comparisons. Professor Chennupati Jagadish is Deputy Chair of Project #3 Asia literacy – language and beyond, with Professor Mark Wainwright as a member. ATSE is more heavily involved in the final three projects. Project #4 The role of science, research and technology in lifting Australian Gas mining at Moomba, South Australia. productivity is chaired by Dr John Bell, with Dr Bob Frater as deputy and Professor Tom P hoto: iStock Spurling as a member. Project #5 New One of the Academy’s most exciting challenges Committee (PSC) – chaired by incoming technologies and their role in our security, has resulted from the developments associated ATSE President Dr Alan Finkel AM FTSE – to cultural, democratic, social and economic with the announcement by the Australian guide the program, titled Securing Australia’s systems is chaired by Professor Rob Evans Government in June of an ARC LASP grant of Future. with Fellows Professor John O’Callaghan and $10 million to the Australian Council of Learned The PSC includes several Fellows – Professor Professor Ron Johnston as members. Project Academies (ACOLA). Michael Barber FTSE, Dr Margaret Hartley #6 Engineering energy: unconventional gas The purpose of the grant was to give the FTSE, Dr Graham Mitchell AO FAA FTSE, Dr Jim production is chaired Professor Peter Cook with Chief Scientist and the Prime Minister’s Science, Peacock AC FRS FAA FTSE and Professor Susan Dr Vaughan Beck as deputy and Fellows Dr John Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) a Pond AM FTSE. Williams and Mr John Toomey as members. strong evidence base on which to recommend This work will be valuable to Government ATSE is fortunate that such a wide new policies aimed at securing a strong, fair and demonstrates the combined strength of selection of Fellows has volunteered to guide and productive future for Australia. the Learned Academies and the substantial these projects and ensure ATSE’s continued Since the inaugural briefing by the Chief public good that can flow from their working participation in one of the most important Scientist, the Presidents of the four Learned more closely together. interfaces between the Learned Academies and Academies have established a Program Steering Dr Finkel says a major challenge for the Government in many years. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au at se in action 19

Australia needs a healthcare ‘assistive technology’ network

Australia needs to establish a network of the elderly to live at home longer rather than people working in health care on ‘assistive using more expensive forms of care, such as technologies’ – or emerging assistive hospitalisation. and medical technologies (EAMTs) – to The Forum’s campaign is driven by its belief address the disconnect between assistive that as Australia’s population ages, the nation technology research and its translation into will face increased healthcare costs and a risk of commercialisation and practice. lower standards of healthcare – unless EAMTs An EAMT network could help remove are developed. barriers to the effective adoption of EAMTs, Professor Greg Tegart AM FTSE, Chair of provide access to information and expertise, the ATSE Health and Technology Forum, says analyse and advise on regulations and to address the challenges associated with standards and promote collaboration between an ageing population there is a need for an researchers, industry government and users. increased focus on research and development, Social networking tools could provide commercialisation and implementation of an important mechanism for identifying and these assistive technologies. engaging a wider audience for the potential of “This will need to engage a wide range of the application of EAMTs. stakeholders – including researchers, investors, These were key recommendations to the medical sector, community organisations, come from the Enabling Assistive Technologies governments, carers and consumers,” he says. Network Workshop organised by ATSE in “Currently, there are only very limited Sydney in October, supported by the Federal structures for bringing together these Greg Tegart addresses the workshop. Department of Innovation, Industry, Science stakeholders to work together on the and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE) and the NSW development and deployment of smart Government’s Trade and Investment Division. technologies that are needed by the nation. network facilitating research, innovation, The workshop was part of a project “The multidisciplinary nature of aged technology and its translation into practice and driven by ATSE’s Health Technology care services across ICT, health and medical commercialisation in Australia. Forum, which seeks to bring to market care, housing and other services means that The workshop agreed a network would have and general use assistive technologies and many stakeholders and agencies need to work to be self-sustaining model that generated the address the disconnect between assistive- together to fully implement the vision for aged revenue necessary for the network to operate as technology research and its translation into care in the future.” an independent and authoritative body. commercialisation and practice. ATSE’s work on assistive technologies ATSE undertook to develop a value The Academy says EAMTs can reduce in aged care has also confirmed the strong proposition and draft business plan for such a healthcare costs and maintain healthcare interest among a wide range of players for network to assist the ‘start-up’ phase of an EATM standards in Australia by, for example, allowing the establishment of a multidisciplinary Network in 2013.

ATSEc ba ks science teacher training All practising science teachers in schools should receive in-service citizens/voters the science understanding and skills necessary to make training in inquiry-based science education techniques, according to the informed, evidence-based decisions when evaluating new, emerging or Academy. Inquiry-based methods for science teaching should also be contentious science issues. part of the curriculum for pre-service primary and secondary teachers. This meant an enhanced uptake of STEM studies, ATSE said. ATSE also recommends that science and mathematics teachers, and The submission noted that many students did not see science as those with responsibilities to provide career advice to students, are well being relevant to their lives and the Academy’s flagship in-curriculum briefed on the contemporary and prospective roles and opportunities in program, Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance science, technology, engineering and mathematics. (STELR) program which had been developed to inspire interest in science, These are key points made in the Academy’s submission in October technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in students in Years 7 to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to 10 – initially through the highly relevant context of Global Warming, Committee inquiry into Teaching and Learning: Maximising our Climate Change and Renewable Energy Resources, and lately through the Investment in Australian Schools. context of Sustainable Living Through Science and Technology. The Academy submission notes that a major challenge for Australia The submission noted that, as recognition of STELR’s work, 13 Australian is to be prepared for the knowledge economy and that a scientifically universities currently used STELR as an example of a high-quality inquiry- literate and capable society is needed now more than ever to give based science resource in their teacher education programs. december 12 Focus 20 fresh science www.atse.org.au

Fresh Science brings out another 12

Now in its 15th year, Fresh Science is a national event that brings together scientists, the media and the public. A selection of 12 bright young scientists are chosen and supported to be ambassadors for science in Australia. Fresh Science is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research and Tertiary Education through the Inspiring Australia initiative, Museum Victoria, CSL Ltd and New Scientist magazine. State finals were also supported by the University of Queensland, ANSTO and the South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology. Focus brings you a quick look at the work of two of these young scientists.

Black carrots Tuna happier being key to gut health farmed offshore Black carrots have revealed how fruit and vegetables help maintain gut Port Lincoln tuna are bigger, healthier and happier when they are health and reduce the risk of developing cancer. kilometres offshore, according to a study by University of Tasmania Dr Anneline Padayachee from the University of Queensland has researchers. discovered the antioxidant compounds they contain combine with fibre Southern bluefin tuna are usually farmed near the shore, but a study to play an important role in protecting the colon from cancer. published in the international journal PLoS ONE found that the tuna thrive The compounds, known as polyphenols, are released from plant when raised further out to sea.

cells during chewing. However, Anneline found that the majority of Photo: Nicole Kirchoff The researchers polyphenols are bound to fibre during this process and are not free for collaborated on the world’s absorption until they reach the colon in the final stages of digestion. Nicole on the first commercial-scale trial of Black carrots – which are actually a dark purple – are packed with research vessel. offshore fish development, polyphenols similar to those that give blueberries and red wine their vivid finding that tuna farmed colour. Anneline’s work showed that these compounds became bound to in deep, turbulent waters fibre during chewing and remained bound throughout digestion in the gained weight twice as fast stomach and small intestine. as fish reared closer in. They “We discovered that fibre not only works as a ‘bowel scourer’, but also had better survival rates is also able to safely traffic polyphenols to the colon, where they are and superior health. involved in gut health protective mechanisms,” Anneline says. Lead researcher Bacteria in the gut finally break down the fibre-bound polyphenols Dr Nicole Kirchhoff says the before the fibre itself is excreted. Products resulting from digested research was the first study polyphenols then protect the colon from cancer. to show it was possible to “So, to gain the benefits of polyphenols, you need to consume produce fish offshore on a everything – the whole vegetable or fruit, including the fibrous pulp if commercial scale. Photo: Kathy Grube, UQ you’re juicing it. Not only will “Our results indicate a you have a clean gut, but a promising economic future healthy gut full of protective for offshore development,” Nicole says. “The fish had fewer parasites and polyphenols.” they were in overall better condition than fish maintained near the shore. Anneline hopes her As previous CSIRO research demonstrates, happy and healthy animals not work might also help only taste better, but are also better for you.” uncover medicinal uses The waters at the study site were twice as deep as traditional for plant fibre in targeted near-shore farming zones, with stronger currents, winds and waves. treatments of dietary Researchers monitored and sampled tuna reared offshore during a full conditions. She worked on five-month commercial season. The study included 15 measurements of this research project with health, stress and condition. the ARC Centre of Excellence Nicole says there has been worldwide interest in the development in Plant Cell Walls, the Centre of offshore waters for decades, but environmental and economic for Nutrition and Food uncertainty prevented commercial expansion into the deeper ocean. Sciences at the University of “We’ve found that farming further from shore actually has benefits Queensland and CSIRO. beyond fish welfare and commercial success. Globally, moving aquaculture operations offshore may reduce interactions with urban Anneline Padayachee at work. populations and inshore environmental concerns.” Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au water / research & technology 21

Dr Edward Banks and Dr Jordi Batlle-Aguilar sample groundwater in the Willunga Basin, SA.

Water is dated by analysing trace chemicals in it, Professor Cook explains. For instance, atom bomb tests in the Earth’s atmosphere between 1945 and 1980 have left a distinct trace of tritium in all the world’s waters, making it easy to date waters of this age by measuring this chemical signal. For more recent groundwater, scientists measure traces of chlorofluorocarbons – the chemicals used as spray-can propellants and refrigerants between about 1940 and their banning under the 1990 Montreal Protocol. Dissolved carbonates are used by researchers to date water between 2000 and 40,000 years old using carbon-14 dating methods. Chlorine-36, with a half-life of 300,000 years, can be used to date waters from 50,000 to two million years old by dating the dissolved salt. There is currently no easy way to date water aged between 2000 years and 70 years old, ”which is a gap we are currently working to fill,” Australia’s vintage drop: Professor Cook says. million-year-old water Water industry The most ancient water so far found in Australia is 1,100,000 years old and goes to school from a region of the Great Artesian Basin in northern South Australia. The Australian water industry has launched a new project that will According to the Deputy Director of the National Centre for support teachers in delivering water education in schools. Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT) Professor Peter Cook, the age The Australian Curriculum Project Water Education in Schools aims of Australia’s water not only teaches us more about our ancient continent to coordinate existing efforts in water education across Australia in order but also how we can better conserve and manage this precious resource. to update and develop new resources that are digital, interactive and “The fact that we have water of such an incredible antiquity also tells aligned with the Australian Curriculum. us how long it will take to recharge if we use it up quickly and unwisely. Australian Water Association Chief Executive Mr Tom Mollenkopf Our vintage water contains a warning from deep time,” he says. says the project – backed by 21 water organisations – will enable the “On the other hand, much of our groundwater is quite young – only water sector to pool funds to combine efforts and ensure quality water- a few years or decades – and this means it is being recharged constantly, education messages are delivered. and is therefore at risk of being polluted by activities and industries on “This is an important opportunity for the water sector to ensure the surface.” all students across Australia have access to the latest information on Typically, water in the southern part of the Great Artesian Basin is Australia’s water issues, wherever they may be located. Educating the aged from 100,000 to more than a million years, indicating it is not likely students of today will ensure that we are prepared for Australia’s variable to be recharged any time soon and must therefore be extracted and used and volatile climate into the future,” Mr Mollenkopf says. with great care and forethought, he says. He notes that Perth depends for part of its water supply on groundwater. While some of this is quite young and is replenished regularly $100m fibre research by rainfall, the deeper aquifers contain water up to 35,000 years old. centre for Geelong In contrast, groundwater beneath Darwin’s outer rural suburbs is The Australian Future Fibres Research and Innovation Centre (AFFRIC) at mostly less than 50 years old. Detailed measurements of its age have Deakin University is set to position the Geelong region as an international enabled scientists to predict its rate of recharge with precision, which has hub for research in advanced fibrous materials. helped the city set sustainable extraction limits for householders and users. The new $100 million research centre is a joint initiative between CSIRO, “Dating groundwater is becoming a vital tool in managing the Deakin and the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing. nation’s water supply,” Professor Cook explains. For example, since “The centre will see CSIRO and Deakin University researchers working groundwater is connected to surface water, knowing its age can help in together on a series of projects aimed at increasing the research capacity better planning and management of the waters of the Murray–Darling of both organisations to service the textile and fibre industry,” said Basin, and allocate them sustainably among different uses such as Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Science and Research. agriculture, urban areas and the environment. “The new centre will have a world-first, pilot-scale research plant “Some water in the lower Murray Basin has been dated to around able to produce commercial quantities of carbon fibre, which is at the 200,000 years. Many of our best wine-growing regions are using core of a number of advanced materials used in aeronautical and other groundwater, yet we have only a sketchy understanding of its age and engineering applications.” sustainability – which is important for the future of the wine industry.” Research and development partnerships already in place include: Since groundwater comprises around 90 per cent of the nation’s Quiksilver, to develop material for action sportswear; the Australian reserves of fresh water, this knowledge is becoming increasingly vital, he Defence Force to develop smart fibres for use in uniform fabrics; and the adds, especially in cases where there is competition for its use, as is the Cotton Research and Development Corporation to develop low-twist, case between coal-seam gas developers and farmers in some states. fine-count yarns and fabrics from cotton. december 12 Focus 22 ICT www.atse.org.au

primary node within Melbourne on behalf of Victorian universities. Smart software The University of Queensland (UQ) is leading the project on behalf of the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and tackles social media Tertiary Education (DIISRTE), which funds the project from the Education Responding earlier to bushfires and helping address mental health Investment Fund under the Super Science (Future Industries) initiative. issues are just two of the benefits from the development of new social Dr Nick Tate, RDSI Project Director who is based at UQ, said the media software from CSIRO. The social media analysis software is helping project would be a significant boost for researchers around Australia who organisations make sense of massive volumes of social media traffic, were capturing and processing enormous data sets. Its storage capacity according to a services research specialist. was expected to grow to more than 100 petabytes, which is significantly Mr Alan Dormer, CSIRO Services Science Leader, said that, with larger than existing research stores. Photo: CSIRO millions of posts The RDSI project aims to develop a national network of distributed and countless data stores where research data can be readily accessed, analysed and Analysing social conversations re-used and to support the retention and integration of nationally media. happening significant data assets. This will support enhanced research outcomes every minute, through greater access to, and sharing of, research data. organisations trying to make sense of social NICTA wins part of US media can easily cyber-security project find themselves A team of computer scientists from NICTA will be part of a multi-million- overwhelmed. dollar contract with the US Government to develop a new breed of “There are 11.5 software to protect the critical systems in unmanned vehicles from cyber million Facebook attack. accounts in An international consortium, led by Rockwell Collins – with NICTA Australia and more as a core member – won the US$18 million project with the US Defense than two million Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which promises to have Twitter accounts, far-reaching future applications protecting the critical systems in motor so analysing social vehicles, medical devices and aircraft. The successful team also includes media posts to Boeing, Galois and the University of Minnesota. find relevant information is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Mr As part of the program, the high-assurance systems built in the Dormer said. project will be subjected to ‘white box’ attacks by an expert ‘red team’ “It’s a classic big data problem. But with our research in data mining, to test their robustness. White box attacks are pre-arranged attempts to textual analysis and data visualisation, we’re well placed to tackle it.” penetrate a system by teams with complete knowledge of their target – So far, organisations are using the software for three main reasons: their purpose is to expose any security flaws so they can be addressed. reputation management; exploring topics and issues important to the The work will be undertaken by the same group of NICTA scientists community; and early detection of emergencies or outbreaks. that developed the highly robust seL4 operating system, named by The National Mental Health Commission is working with the software the prestigious MIT Technology Review in 2011 as one of the top 10 and plans to use it to gauge community response to their report cards on technologies likely to change the world. The project is part of DARPA’s Australia’s mental health issues and services. The first is due out later this High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems (HACMS) program, which aims to year. produce dependable systems that are resilient to emerging cyber threats. A CSIRO software tool to analyse Twitter posts recently gave In this project, the NICTA team will develop new approaches to Queensland fire services an extra 25 minutes warning that a grass fire address the many challenges involved in building high-assurance was threatening an outback hospital. Tweets about the fire emerged well systems. The aim is to develop a complete, formally proven architecture ahead of any official alerts and within minutes, details such as the fire’s to protect the control and communication systems of an aerial vehicle location and direction were appearing on Twitter, allowing emergency from compromise by faults and targeted attacks. managers to evacuate the hospital safely. “As computers replace mechanical systems in many industries, we are Mr Dormer said the social media analysis tools were being developed increasingly dependent on the functionality implemented in software,” with government. An ‘early adopters group’ of innovators in government said Dr Jodi Steel, Director of the Security and Environment Business was helping develop the social media tools beyond the prototype stage, Team at NICTA. “This project is all about making sure that such systems trial them in real situations, and providing feedback to make them more function as intended, even in the case of cyber attacks.” useful. “NICTA’s selection for this project reflects our status as world leaders in the verification of operating systems,” said Scientia Professor Gernot Heiser, Leader of NICTA’s Software Systems Research Group and the Victoria gets University of New South Wales John Lions Chair. next RDSI node “NICTA’s participation in this important international project The next node of the $50 million Australian Government’s Research Data demonstrates the power of world-class research to contribute directly to Storage Infrastructure (RDSI) project to transform the storage of research wealth creation opportunities,” said Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte FRS data will be located in Victoria, with the University of Melbourne leading a FAA FTSE, NICTA’s Chief Executive Officer. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au education 23

scenarios for how university business models might evolve and what this Profound change “Profound might mean for the ‘public good’ role of universities. coming for The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) universities. change” coming will need to consider how new university models might fit into their regulatory frameworks, and what forms of regulation might be needed to for universities enable innovation and new models to develop while maintaining overall New technologies, increased competition standards of quality. and flat-lining government funding will force “This is a sector that, more than any other, will shape Australia’s universities to fundamentally reinvent themselves future as a high-performing knowledge economy,” Mr Bokor said, “But, to in the decade ahead, according to a recently succeed, Australian universities will need to forge new business models released Ernst & Young report – University of the that are dynamic, modern and are fit for the decades ahead.” Future. The study included interviews with more than 40 leaders from universities, private Chief Scientist providers and policy makers, including extended interviews with 15 proposed for DEEWR Australian Vice-Chancellors. The Government has announced it will appoint a Chief Scientist within “We’ve seen fundamental structural changes to industries including the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations media, retail and entertainment in recent years – higher education is (DEEWR) to increase the role of social science research and evidence in next. There’s not a single Australian university than can survive to 2025 future policy development. with its current business model,” says report author Justin Bokor, Executive The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, Director in Ernst & Young’s Education practice. said the Chief Scientist would work collaboratively with the Australian and “At a minimum, universities will need to get much leaner, both in international scientific and research community, and other government terms of the way they run the back-office, and in use of assets.” agencies, to bring together the best research and evidence to tackle As part of the study, Ernst & Young compared ratios of support staff current and emerging policy challenges across the DEEWR portfolio. to academic staff across a selection of 15 Australian universities, covering DEEWR’s portfolio includes early childhood education and childcare, the Group of Eight (Go8), Australian Technology Network of Universities school education, employment, workplace relations and social inclusion. It (ATN), the Innovative Research Universities (IRU), regional universities is also responsible for four of the Government’s six Closing the Gap targets. and non-aligned universities. Only one university in the sample – a Go8 The Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett, said the Chief university – had a ratio less than one. The rest had more support staff Scientist would play an important role in connecting research into what than academic staff: four had 50 per cent or more support staff and more works in education to DEEWR’s school reform agenda. than half had at least 20 per cent more support staff. “Given increased market forces, including the switch to a demand- driven model in the domestic market and increased global competition 460,000 downloads for in the international student market together with tight government iTunes U course funding, universities with these types of support structures will struggle La Trobe University’s second-year subject History of Children’s Literature to see out the next 10 years.” Mr Bokor said. began its second teaching session as an iTunes U course in November, The study highlighted five key drivers that are changing the world of after gaining 20,000 subscribers and more than 460,000 downloads since universities: the democratisation of knowledge and access; contestability; its debut on iTunes U in February this year. new technologies; global mobility; and integration with industry. The iTunes U Courses is a new delivery method from Apple Corporation sum total of these drivers of change will mean universities will be very that allows a worldwide audience to access teaching material through different in 15 years from now and will need to: iTunes at the same time as students, regardless of location or enrolment. ¢increasingly orient their strategies and organisations around particular Taught by David Beagley from the Bendigo campus, History of student and industry segments; Children’s Literature is one of four subjects he has taught on iTunes U. ¢create new, leaner business models as competition increases for staff, “I am constantly being amazed by the reach of these lectures,” he students, funding and partners; says. “I have had emails from listeners in the US, Britain, Canada, The ¢innovate the higher education value chain, for example forming Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey and even the New Guinea Highlands!” partnerships and areas of specialisation in particular areas of the value La Trobe was the first Australian university to provide content on chain – content aggregation, mass distribution and certification; iTunes U Courses, having launched the initiative in February 2012. Other ¢increasingly fund, conduct and commercialise research in partnership universities contributing include Stanford, Oxford and Yale. with industry; and La Trobe now has 12 subjects providing content for iTunes U. ¢face new competitors in Australia and internationally – both online Combined they had over 300,000 subscribers, and campus-based competitors, especially as emerging market more than 4 million downloads of lectures and universities move up the rankings and private providers develop material, and were widely promoted by Apple to successful segment-focused models. its vast audience on the iTunes U platform. The report argues that politicians and policy makers should present “I’m delighted that La Trobe University a clear case for the critical role of higher education in the nation’s future – continues to set an example for the rest of to build public support for the university sector and set the foundations Australia in online digital education,” says Senior John Rosenberg for higher education public policy. Policy makers should develop Deputy Vice-Chancellor John Rosenberg FTSE. december 12 Focus 24 climate / environment www.atse.org.au

Photo: CSIRO Deakin University, Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Tasmania and University of Wollongong. The book was launched at the recent ‘Coast to Coast’ conference in Brisbane. “This book explores the evolution of coastal management in Australia and provides critical insights into contemporary experience and understanding,” said Dr Andy Steven, CSIRO’s Our Resilient Coastal Australia Theme Leader. “It draws on current theory and lessons from case examples to highlight the roles of research and community engagement in coastal management. The book concludes with a chapter of recommendations, which can help guide coastal management and research around the world.” UV levels have increased Recently published research, which for the first time examined changes in CSIRO’s solar mirror field in Newcastle – now CSIRO is studying the effects large solar arrays might have on the surrounding climate. ultraviolet (UV) radiation in Australia over a period of 50 years, has found an overall annual increase in UV levels of two to six per cent since the 1990s for locations throughout Australia. Climate benefit The data also shows seasonal variations in UV increases, with winter increases from 1970 to 1980 almost twice those recorded in summer, and from solar arrays? higher average UV levels observed in more southerly latitudes. A study to determine whether energy production can simultaneously be “The data shows that during the 1970s and early 1980s, clear-sky UV used to positively affect regional climates, including modifying rainfall Index levels for the three Australian regions (North, Central and South) patterns, has begun in CSIRO’s weather and energy research unit. were fairly stable,“ says Dr Lilia Lemus-Deschamps, Bureau of Meteorology In a collaboration between Game Changer Ventures and CSIRO, scientist. ”But over the past 20 years, there has been an overall annual the study will initially focus upon what effects large solar arrays, used to increase in UV levels across the country from to two per cent to six per generate renewable solar power, might have on the surrounding climate. cent above the 1970 to 1980 levels, corresponding to ozone depletion.” In a geo-engineering study with the potential to assist in the design The study calculated clear-sky UV radiation over a 50-year period and planning of extensive solar farms, CSIRO climate scientists Drs (1959 to 2009) for Australia using two long-term ozone data sets Alberto Troccoli and Jack Katzfey will investigate the possible changes to derived from surface and satellite measurements, a radiation code and the local climate produced by massive solar farms. atmospheric meteorological fields. The scientists will specifically evaluate whether such solar arrays can be engineered in such a way as to produce statistically significant rainfall in addition to electricity. ‘Trapdoors’ capture Dr Troccoli said the principle of solar arrays was that they absorbed Carbon dioxide energy from the sun and converted part of that energy to electricity A team of researchers from the CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technologies which was then transferred via the electricity grid to remote locations. (CO2CRC) based at the University of Melbourne have developed a new

Thus less energy from the sun was available to heat the solar farm site. material with exceptional properties for separating CO2 from other gases. “Local climate impact would depend significantly upon the location The chabazite zeolite synthesised by Professor Paul Webley and of the solar array relative to prevailing winds and atmospheric moisture, his team from the School of Engineering uses a molecular ‘trapdoor’ to as well as the shape and orientation of the array. separate molecules based on their properties rather than their size. “Solar power plants proposed under the Solar Flagships program “Zeolite granules are highly porous, with one gram often containing in Australia are not designed with any consideration of their effect on as much surface area as a football field,” Professor Webley says. “Zeolites weather but this should be determined, both positively and negatively, have previously been considered to be molecular ‘sieves’ – separating before they are built. gas molecules based on size. The trapdoor mechanism that allows the

“For example, we will be trying to assess whether a large solar array chabazite zeolite to trap CO2 so efficiently is a new discovery.”

can be engineered in such a way as to increase rainfall or induce rainfall in The material can separate CO2 from gas streams at a wide range of

the vicinity of the array, preferentially downwind and not directly over the temperatures and pressures and has excellent potential for separating CO2 array,” he said. from power station flue gases and natural gas production. “The major costs of carbon capture and storage are on the capture side of the equation,” Professor Webley says. “The high selectivity and Coastal management lower energy requirement of the material mean that there is considerable book published potential to reduce the cost of gas separation, and therefore the overall CSIRO Publishing has launched a new book, Sustainable Coastal cost of carbon capture and storage.” Management and Climate Adaptation: Global Lessons from Regional Research input came from CSIRO, the Department of Materials Approaches in Australia, produced by the Coastal Collaboration Cluster, Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Monash University and the which includes researchers from CSIRO, Curtin University of Technology, Australian Synchrotron. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au manufacturing / energy 25

to meet both export commitments and domestic needs. Like the Victorian chemical Prime Minister’s Task Force on Manufacturing and the Queensland Government’s recent Gas Market Review, the report highlights that major manufacturing centre gas users currently face great difficulty in securing supply. NIEIR questions The Victorian Government has provided $5.85 million to establish the whether production and proven reserves will expand fast enough to Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing (VCSCM) at provide confidence in secure long-term supply to all users.” Monash University in a $25 million collaboration between government, research and industry. Led by Monash University together with CSIRO, the Plastics and CSIRO leads titanium Chemicals Industries Association and the Environment Protection manufacturing Authority, VCSCM will undertake a range of activities enabling CSIRO has announced the opening of a new titanium additive manufacturers to interact more closely and effectively with the research manufacturing facility that will be used for developing advanced community to drive improved sustainable manufacturing outcomes. titanium parts for aerospace, medical, automotive and manufacturing The centre will increase awareness of the benefits of adopting applications. sustainable manufacturing practices within the industry, demonstrating The facility, at CSIRO’s Clayton site in Melbourne, houses the first the unique research platforms of Monash and CSIRO. Arcam additive manufacturing machine in the Southern Hemisphere. It Professor Milton Hearn FTSE, leader of VCSCM, said the centre‘s uses electron beam melting to fuse metal powders into complex shapes establishment would provide a key platform to support Victorian layer by layer and creates three-dimensional parts from metals including manufacturing to become more globally competitive. titanium alloys, nickel and hard steel alloys. Announcing the funding, the Victorian Minister for Manufacturing, CSIRO’s expertise in titanium manufacturing includes electron beam Richard Dalla-Riva, said: “The VCSCM will provide dedicated resources melting, coldspray and thermally assisted machining. The new facility is around industrial research and manufacturing processes to Victorian part of CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing Flagship. manufacturers in the fine chemicals, pharmaceutical and food industries.” CSIRO has identified additive manufacturing as a key opportunity for the manufacturing sector in Australia and has expertise in core supporting technologies, including materials science, polymer science Gas export boom and metal fabrication. Its industrial commercial additive manufacturing has risks activities include the development of titanium pipe with Future Titanium The anticipated boom in east coast gas exports from Australia has some Technologies and the production of aerospace hardware through the risks, according to a recent industry report prepared for the Australian Joint Strike Fighter program with Ferra Engineering. Industry Group (Ai Group) and the Plastics and Chemicals Industries “Additive manufacturing is an emerging technology capable of Association (PACIA) by the National Institute of Economic and Industry changing the future of manufacturing in Australia and we are keen to Research (NIEIR). facilitate the adoption of new technologies that will benefit Australian The report, Large scale export of east coast Australia natural gas: businesses,” Director of CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing Flagship Swee Mak unintended consequences, identified the benefits and potential economic says. “We have invested in a suite of technologies and research, which risks associated with gas exports. Among its findings: combined with our links with RMIT and Monash universities, provide ¢ gas supply may be insufficient to avoid constraining domestic use; industry with a unique opportunity to explore and engage in forward- ¢ each petajoule of gas shifted from industrial use towards exports thinking design and production techniques.” means giving up $255 million in lost industrial output for a $12 million Photo: CSIRO gain in export output – that is, for every $1 gained $21 is lost; ¢ secure local gas supply is fundamentally important to a number of industries including non-ferrous metals and basic chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals and paints; ¢ gas exports are predicted to rise from two million tonnes in 2015 to up to 24 million tonnes in 2023; ¢ long-term gas supply contracts have evaporated for local industry as a consequence of export commitments; ¢ east coast gas prices will rise, potentially to as much as triple the current $3 to $4 per gigajoule – an increase several times larger than the costs related to carbon pricing; and ¢ current policy settings favour exports over domestic gas sales. Ai Chief Executive Innes Willox says that Ai Group and PACIA members have been concerned for some time that potential unintended consequences of the gas boom were not widely appreciated. “While we are strong supporters of Australia’s minerals and gas exports, there is a need for public recognition and discussion of the risks, and debate over what steps can be taken to best manage them.”

PACIA Chief Executive Margaret Donnan says: “NIEIR’s report raises Part of a hip prosthesis made using the Arcam process, in front of a doubts that the supply of natural gas will be sufficient in coming years screen showing the computer-aided design for the implant. december 12 Focus 26 opinion www.atse.org.au

Risk management is at risk from ‘social amplification’

ne of the most perplexing problems and risk-related behaviour and argues that processing risk information (for in risk analysis is why some relatively hazards interact with these perspectives in example, drawing inferences); minor risks or risk events (as assessed ways that may amplify or attenuate public ¢ attaching social values to information by technical experts) elicit strong responses, and focuses on amplification. as a basis for drawing implications Opublic concerns and result in substantial “Risk amplification typically occurs for management and policy; impacts on society and the economy. at two stages in a risk scenario: in the ¢ interacting with cultural and peer groups to Such concerns and impacts are transfer of information about risk and in interpret and assess the validity of signals; typically the result of ‘social amplification’ social response mechanisms,” he says. ¢ formulating behavioural intentions about – changes in risk perception and “Signals about risk are both transmitted whether to tolerate a risk or take action response based on psychological, social, and processed by individuals and social against the risk or risk manager; and institutional and cultural processes. entities, called amplification stations. The ¢ engaging in group or individual actions to Social amplification is most likely to individual might be a scientist, for example, accept, ignore, tolerate or change the risk. flourish when the risks are serious and the who communicates the risk assessment; Professor Kasperson says a particular situation is fraught with uncertainties. a social entity might be the news media, policy strength of the social amplification These are key points made in an a cultural group, or an interpersonal of risk framework is its capacity to mesh article by Professor Roger Kasperson, a network. The perceived amplified risk emerging findings from different venues research scientist at Clark University, leads to behavioural responses that result of risk and impact research, to bring Massachusetts, published (Vol 42, No 3) in secondary impacts or ripples.” various insights and analytic leverage into in The Bridge, the journal of the US Social amplification may qualitatively conjunction, and (particularly) to analyse National Academy of Engineering (NAE). and quantitatively increase not only connections and interactions in specific Professor Kasperson makes the point the perception of risk but also the risk social and cultural contexts. that risk perception and communication itself and its consequences. For this are important factors in decisions about reason, social amplification of risk must • The Bridge publishes opinion and analysis managing risk events and their impacts and be included in analyses of public and on engineering research, education and describes the social amplification of risk regulatory reactions to risk events.” practice; science and technology policy; and the framework as a tool for understanding and The key amplification stages are; roles of engineering and technology in society. accounting for public attitudes toward risk. ¢ filtering signals (only a fraction The intent is to stimulate debate and dialogue He says the framework links the technical of all incoming information within the NAE membership and the broader assessment of risk with psychological, is actually processed); community of policymakers, educators, sociological, and cultural perspectives of risk ¢ decoding and reframing signals business leaders and other interested citizens.

LETTER There seems to be two common schools of thought about climate change: it is considered by some to be a natural phenomenon and by others to be merely a source of human activity. It is of course the The consequences of consequence of both! Whereas the consequences of human influence on predicting the unpredictable climate change can, arguably, be predicted with some degree of accuracy, On 22 October six Italian seismologists and one ex-government official the effects of the multiple natural causes of climate change, which in the were convicted of “multiple manslaughter for the downplaying the past have caused glacial and interglacial periods, are extremely complex. likelihood of a major earthquake six days before it took place”. For The Principle of Incompatibility, stated in 1972 by Lofty Zadeh, this “crime” they were each sentenced to six years imprisonment. The Professor at Berkley University, says: “As the complexity of the system earthquake which they have failed to predict occurred in the region increases, our ability to make precise and significant statements about of Abruzzo with the epicentre near L’Aquila on 6 April 2009 and was its behaviour diminishes until the threshold is reached beyond which rated 5.8 on the Richter scale. Approximately 40,000 people were made precision and significance (or relevance) become almost mutually homeless, 308 are known to have died and some 1500 injured. exclusive characteristics.“ It is, however, generally accepted by the scientific community that A corollary principle may be stated succinctly as: “The closer one earthquakes are unpredictable, just as many other natural phenomena, looks at a real-world problem, the fuzzier becomes its solution”. particularly those whose effect has numerous causes. The law of causality, as Also, considering the increase in carbon dioxide as the main cause of it was formulated by the Nobel Laureate Henri Bergson (1859–1941), states: the potential increase in the average earth temperature, yet another major “This law means that every phenomenon is determined by its conditions, or, factor of the temperature increase – that of methane – is often neglected. in other words, that the same causes produce the same effects.” If, arguably, emissions of carbon dioxide can be effectively controlled It is my understanding that there is considerable uncertainty about and reduced, the same cannot be said about methane. the natural causes and effects influencing climate change. – Professor Alek Samarin FTSE Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au opinion 27

Science experts blast Italian quake verdict

Six Italian scientists and a government official were recently found guilty of manslaughter for underestimating the risks of a major earthquake in the town of L’Aquila in 2009. All seven were members of the Major Risks Committee and were sentenced to six years in prison for failing to warn the population of the risks just days before L’Aquila and surrounding towns were hit by a quake that killed more than 300 people. y I mages y The implication for those who serve on assessment committees is daunting. Comments from Australian and G ett:

overseas experts reflect the risks involved in prediction: P hoto

¢ “This is an extremely alarming verdict. If this sets a precedent ¢ “This potentially sets back scientists’ desire and ability then national governments will find it impossible to persuade to engage openly with the public and authorities any scientist to sit on a natural hazard risk evaluation panel. on the risks faced by society from natural hazards, In the longer term, then, this decision will cost lives not particularly those involving seismic activity.” save them. We don’t have the ability to predict earthquakes, – Dr John Elliott, Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University but what national governments need to do is spend time and money ensuring that the buildings in areas of potential ¢ “This is very unusual path for the criminal law to tread, and earthquake risk are able to withstand expected earthquakes.” … the outcome is, quite frankly, bizarre. The public policy – Professor Bill McGuire, Professor of Geophysical and repercussions are significant too. From now on, one might Climate Hazards, University College London safely predict that one of two things will happen: either Italian seismologists (or epidemiologists, or climatologists or ¢ “Ironically, the conviction of the scientists is likely to imperil any scientists for that matter) will remain quiet about their the very need that this incident has highlighted: for open and predictions unless they are absolutely certain (which will clear communication between the scientists and the public. never be the case) or they will predict a worst case scenario, In a further irony, only now has the first action been taken which will inevitably lead to resources being spent (and largely against the engineers who designed modern buildings that wasted) on anticipating things that will rarely, if ever, happen.” collapsed and caused fatalities and no action has yet been – Professor Rick Sarre, School of Law, University of South Australia taken against the government officials who were responsible for enforcing building code compliance. It has occurred to ¢ “Communication of earthquake hazard probabilities some observers that the local government officials may be to the wider public is a complex issue. Following this scapegoating the scientists to avoid prosecution themselves.” verdict, seismologists and other natural hazards experts – Professor Paul Somerville, Deputy Director of Risk Frontiers are will find it even more difficult to achieve a balance Natural Hazards Research Centre, Macquarie University between communicating what the most likely outcomes are, whilst acknowledging the chance of low probability, ¢ “This bizarre verdict will chill anyone who gives scientific extreme outcomes. To err in one direction leaves them advice, and I hope they are freed on appeal. The lesson open to being charged with being “too reassuring” but for me is that scientific advisors must try and retain to err in the other leaves them open to being accused control over how their work is communicated, and of being alarmist – either way minor nuances in the are properly trained to engage with the public.” language used can be interpreted differently by different – Professor David Spiegelhalter, audiences leaving the experts in a no-win situation.” University of Cambridge – Wayne Peck, senior seismologist in the Seismology Research Centre, Environmental Systems & Services ¢ “If it stands, this verdict will have a chilling effect on earthquake science in Italy and throughout Europe. For instance, who would ¢ “If the scientific community is to be penalised for now be willing to serve on an earthquake hazard evaluation making predictions that turn out to be incorrect, or for panel when getting it wrong could mean a conviction for not accurately predicting an event that subsequently manslaughter? And what will be the effect on the ‘impact’ occurs, then scientific endeavour will be restricted to agenda? Here in the UK scientists are being challenged to certainties only and the benefits that are associated with ensure that their research has influence outside academia; this findings from medicine to physics will be stalled.” case suggests that such engagement can be very dangerous.” – Professor Malcolm Sperrin, Director of Medical – Professor Sandy Steacy, University of Ulster Physics, Royal Berkshire Hospital december 12 Focus 28 health www.atse.org.au

help 20 million people a year around the world. Ageing means Earlier this year ANSTO and the Australian Government announced the $168 million plan to significantly increase ANSTO’s nuclear medicine “unprecedented change” production capacity. Professor Greg Tegart AM FTSE, Chair of ATSE’s Health and Technology Speaking after the hearing, Dr Paterson said: “One in two Australians Forum, told a recent workshop in Melbourne that Australia was facing will receive a nuclear medicine procedure in their lifetime, and around 80 unprecedented change as population ageing was accelerating worldwide. per cent of those will need Mo-99. Mo-99 is a key tool in the fight against He was addressing the opening session of the Future Directions in cancer and heart disease. It’s absolutely essential for an effective diagnosis. Assisted Living and Healthcare Workshop, convened by ISCRR (the Institute “In the face of increasing demand and diminishing supply, Australia is for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research) and Monash University. taking a global leadership role in meeting healthcare needs.” The aim of the two-day workshop was to identify the needs of people with disabilities and the aged, and to explore the potential for technology to assist people to live independently and remain in their Are faba beans the own homes. It brought together international cancer answer? and national industry experts, architects, Anti-cancer properties have been found in extracts from Australian- designers, IT specialists and disability and carer grown faba beans, along with effects that may have implications for professionals and advocacy groups. treating hypertension and maintaining healthy weight. Professor Tegart said home healthcare As part of a study into the health benefits of faba beans, Charles Sturt technology was an attractive option as it University (CSU) PhD student Siem Siah applied phenolic compounds from empowered patients to self-manage and shifted faba beans to five different cancer cell lines in laboratory experiments at costs from high-cost insititutions to individual Wagga Wagga. In all cases the rate of cancer cell death was accelerated. Greg Tegart people’s homes. Despite this, he said, the uptake The findings have been published in the peer-reviewed British of technology remained limited. Journal of Nutrition. The Grains Research and Development Corporation Professor Tegart detailed the following ways to improve uptake: funded the research; NSW DPI chemist Dr Jennifer Wood co-supervised ¢ keep technology simple for both patients and healthcare professionals; Ms Siah’s PhD with Dr Chris Blanchard from CSU; and Dr Izabela Konczak ¢ tailor the technology to the needs of users; from CSIRO Food and Sciences oversaw the experiments. ¢ focus on high-volume and low-cost solutions; “We know that antioxidant properties are potentially linked to anti-

¢ embed an IT infrastructure to act as basis for integrated systems; cancer properties, so we were trying Photo: Karunrat Sakulnamrat ¢ enhance human contact by better connection of patient to family and to look for the connections,” Ms Siah care staff; and says. She grew cultures of four cancer ¢ build relationships to get all sectors of healthcare working together. cell lines – bladder, stomach, liver He also outlined potential for uptake in aged care as: and colon cancers – in flasks, then ¢ security and safety – elderly-friendly housing, falls prevention, applied the phenolic compounds to communication and social interaction; them directly and waited 24 hours to ¢ diagnosis and treatment – telehealth, coping with degenerative measure the proliferation of cells. The diseases, nanomedicine; and rate of cancer cell multiplication was ¢ assistive technologies – biorobotics, brain/machine interaction, greatly reduced once the faba bean mobility systems. extracts were applied. For a fifth type Professor Tegart emphasised the critical role of a multidisciplinary, of cancer cell, acute promyelocytic Siem Siah cross-sector network, which he saw as a key opportunity for the leukemia, Ms Siah applied a method participants at the workshop. called flow cytometry. Dr Wood says the experiment yielded an insight into the mechanism that inhibited the cancer cell ANSTO to fill nuclear multiplication. medicine shortage “Normal healthy cells are programmed to multiply, grow and die (cell The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation will be key death is called apoptosis),” Dr Wood says. “Cancer cells evade the process to Australian plans to combat a looming nuclear medicine supply crisis. of apoptosis, continue to proliferate and become tumours. This work Global supply of nuclear medicine is under threat, with reactors showed faba bean phenolics induced normal cell death in the cancer responsible for 70 per cent of the world’s Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) cells. Conversely, the extracts had no effect on the proliferation of normal production due to be decommissioned in the next few years. Mo-99 is human colon cells tested – a very favourable outcome.” the base material used in scans that diagnose heart disease and a variety Additional experiments on the interaction with important of cancers. Applications include bone oncology, neurology and kidney human enzymes showed that phenolic extracts from faba beans and gastrointestinal tract disorders. inhibited angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), a common target of ANSTO CEO Dr Adi Paterson FTSE updated the Australian Parliament pharmaceutical medication for hypertension. on plans to put Australia at the heart of the fight against a looming The compounds also inhibited the action of the digestive enzymes international nuclear medicine supply crisis. He told a Budget Estimates alpha-glucosidase and lipase, which could mean slower digestion (and Hearing that Australia would go from producing 550,000 doses of nuclear therefore a longer feeling of satiety), and lower sugar and fat absorption medicine at the Lucas Heights reactor to making enough medicine to by the digestive system. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au health 29

Merck backs UQ Vaccines need to be quickly produced Nanopatch Immunising people with vaccines that are A University of Queensland invention that will deliver vaccines without quick and inexpensive to produce is the key the need for needles has struck a significant partnership with US-based to preventing large-scale spread of infectious pharmaceutical giant Merck. disease, says Professor Anton Middelberg The Nanopatch technology, which aims to replace the traditional FTSE from the Australian Institute for needle and syringe with a patch smaller than a postage stamp to deliver Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at The vaccines painlessly and more efficiently, will be licenced to Merck to University of Queensland. begin commercial production on a vaccine. Using modern molecular and UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj FTSE said the partnership bioprocessing tools, Professor Middelberg accelerated the process of delivering the revolutionary health technology and his team are developing vaccines that Anton Middelberg to people throughout the world. can be changed and manufactured for the “A major vaccine maker has looked at technologies around the entire Australian population within days of a new virus appearing. world and chosen the UQ-invented Nanopatch,” Professor Høj said. “That “The new vaccines we are developing are also much cheaper to mass- is a tremendous credit to the team of researchers who developed the produce than traditional technologies, so are relevant where cost is an technology, led by Professor Mark Kendall. It also reflects the excellence issue – for example, in the developing world,” Professor Middelberg says. of UQ’s research commercialisation, which ensures that practical, life- “We use biotechnology to create the safe parts of a virus, and then enhancing discoveries are made accessible to the people who need them. we use nanotechnology to assemble these building blocks into a virus- “This link-up with Merck is especially inspiring because it may lead like particle (VLP) in a reactor. to the relief of serious health problems, particularly in remote and “VLPs resemble viruses but, as they only use the safe part of the virus, developing regions. In the immediate term, it will employ more people they are not infectious. However, being a safe mimic of the dangerous in Brisbane’s innovation economy and boost the global reputation of virus, they raise an excellent immune response. Queensland and Australian R&D.” “Biotechnology allows us to make VLPs rapidly using bacteria and The Nanopatch technology, now being developed by privately held the VLPs can be manipulated within reactors (not cells) to change biotechnology company Vaxxas, originated from Vaxxas Chief Technology composition and target the new disease-causing agent. This enables an Officer Professor Mark incredibly fast response to new threats.” Kendall’s research group Mark Kendall at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioenginering and New, easy test Nanotechnology. for sight killer Through the Merck Scientists from Australia’s Vision Centre have demonstrated a quick, partnership, Vaxxas will accurate test for one of the world’s leading causes of blindness. be eligible to receive A new study shows that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) payments for up to two can be more rapidly and inexpensively diagnosed effectively under additional vaccines bright lights, instead of requiring patients to sit for 20 minutes in a developed by Merck using darkened room. the Nanopatch platform, “AMD accounts for half of the legal blindness cases in Australia,” as well as milestone payments on Merck vaccine development and says Professor Ted Maddess from The Vision Centre and The Australian regulatory approvals, and royalties on sales of any Merck vaccines that National University. “It affects one in seven people over the age of 50, ultimately use the Nanopatch platform. costing the nation $2.6 billion a year. Globally, it affects 25 to 30 million The Nanopatch works through thousands of small projections people, with an annual cost of $343 billion. designed to deliver a vaccine to abundant immune cells in the skin; “Scientists have proposed that it might be better if the patient needles deliver a vaccine to muscle, where there are few immune cells. has their vision adapted to the dark prior to the test,” he says. “This is Nanopatch delivery can improve the efficiency of vaccines with only a because they had found that rod receptors – vision cells that we use hundredth of the dose used with a needle. to see in black and white and in low light – die earlier in AMD than the The Nanopatch has the potential to improve patient convenience, cone receptors we use to see in colour during the day. So it had been reduce needle-stick injuries and overcome cross contamination. It is suggested that AMD tests would be more accurate if they were based on designed for thermostability and may not need refrigeration, potentially the health of a person’s rods.” making transport cheaper and easier, particularly to developing nations. However, recent research has shown that the eye’s cones, while dying Professor Kendall co-founded Vaxxas in 2011 with a $15 million later than rods, start to deteriorate at the same time as the ‘night’ vision cells. investment from Australian and US investors to advance the Nanopatch “We found little to no difference in the results. This means that the towards clinical testing and product development. UQ’s main cones of an AMD patient are about as damaged as the rods, so tests that commercialisation company, UniQuest, led the initial commercialisation are based on a person’s cone vision are just as accurate.” of the Nanopatch technology prior to the creation of Vaxxas. “Our research indicates that it’s not necessary for people to be dark- Professor Kendall was the 2011 winner of The Australian Innovation adapted, which eliminates any long waiting periods and the need for challenge for the nanopatch technology. dark rooms. So it is an easier test than was previously thought.” december 12 Focus 30 Research & technology www.atse.org.au

Observatory and Vice Chair of the GMT Board, says: “The Giant Magellan Telescope has the potential to transform how we see the cosmos and our place in it.” ANSTO to manage Synchrotron The Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne will now be managed by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), following the announcement in March that the Australian and Victorian governments had secured the future of the Synchrotron through a $100 million, four-year funding arrangement. The Minister for Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, said the agreement would enhance the capacity of the Synchrotron and ANSTO to deliver important scientific outcomes for Australia. Neutron scattering science at ANSTO and accelerator science at the Australian Synchrotron have told researchers different stories about how things work at the molecular level. “When combined, these two complementary science disciplines give a more comprehensive view that An impression of the seven mirror array at the heart of the GMT. will enable new Australian discoveries, from better ways to fight disease to how industrial processes operate,” Minister Evans said. The Synchrotron accelerates electrons to create light beams a million Mirror milestone times brighter than the sun. These intense beams allow hundreds of scientists every year to examine sub-microscopic structures, improving for giant telescope research outcomes in medicine, agriculture, bioscience, engineering, Construction of what will be the world’s largest, most-advanced optical forensics and environmental science. telescope – the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) – has reached a ANSTO’s CEO Dr Adi Paterson FTSE said the new operating arrangements major milestone, with fabrication completed in Arizona of the first of were another step in an extraordinary growth period for science in Australia. seven enormous and technically challenging mirrors that will enable “ANSTO is the long-time custodian of some of Australia’s most unprecedented advances in understanding the universe. significant science infrastructure. We manage one of the world’s best The mirror is 8.4 metres in diameter and was cast at the University multi-purpose research reactors, OPAL, which produces nuclear medicines of Arizona from 20 tonnes of glass, melted then shaped and polished to and neutrons used for scientific research at our adjoining Bragg Institute. precise optical standards. The mirrors are to be made of low-expansion “We also operate two particle accelerators and are in the building glass moulded into a light-weight honeycomb structure. The most phase of the Federal Government’s new Centre for Accelerator Science, challenging aspect of making the GMT’s mirror segments arises from the which will attract local and international scientists.” asymmetric shape of the six outer segments. One of the mirror segments will be mounted at the centre axis of the telescope, with the other six mounted surrounding it, with each mirror Birds like native segment mounted into its own ‘cell’, a complex active support system that street trees will keep the mirror in the proper position relative to the other segments. A world-first study in Canberra has shown that birds favour native trees The telescope will be located at Las Campañas, an observatory in the in our cities and the number of native trees on suburban streets has a big Chilean Andes operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science, and is effect on the numbers and types of birds in the area. scheduled to commence operations toward the end of the decade. “We found that suburbs with more than 30 per cent native street The Australian National University is leading Australia’s participation trees have 11 per cent more bird species of all types than those with in the GMT international consortium. Other GMT partner institutions exotic street trees,” say Dr Karen Ikin and Professor David Lindenmayer include Astronomy Australia Ltd, the Carnegie Institution for Science, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions and ANU. Harvard University, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, The The researchers surveyed 66 bird species at 40 locations across Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, the University of Chicago, Canberra and grouped native birds by their tolerance of urbanisation. the University of Arizona and the University of Texas at Austin. “With the exception of native birds that avoid urban areas, a significantly The project is supported by funding from the Australian Government’s higher number of bird species – both feral and native – were found in Education Investment Fund as part of the Super Science Initiative, securing suburbs with more than 30 per cent of Eucalyptus trees,” Dr Ikin says. access for Australian researchers to the telescope and building Australia’s “Exotic trees like oaks, elms and plums are the most popular choices capacity to participate in its design and component manufacture. in current street tree plans. While these trees have their benefits, such as Professor Harvey Butcher, Director of the ANU Research School of providing more sun in the winter or bushfire protection, our study reveals Astronomy and Physics and a member of the GMT Board, says: “Never that they may have a negative impact on native birdlife.” before has a large telescope mirror been made on this scale and with this Eucalypts, on the other hand, have a crucial role in maintaining level of technical precision.” biodiversity. “They provide food, nest sites and shelter for birds via foliage, Professor Matthew Colless, Director of the Australian Astronomical flowers, bark, canopy air spaces and leaf litter,” Dr Ikin says. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au research & technology 31

key role in China-US economic relations as a location of American Clinton launches investment and a supplier of the Chinese and broader Asian market, with a focus on iron ore, liquefied natural gas and food production; UWA’s USAisa Centre ¢ the business of energy and sustainability – maximising the long-term US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took the opportunity during benefits of the resources boom; alternative energy including wind, her visit to Perth in November to launch the Perth USAsia Centre at The solar and geothermal; and food, soil and water sustainability; University of Western Australia. ¢ WA and the American west – leveraging the close historical, cultural, The Centre aims to be a leading policy think tank on the Australia- climatic and environmental parallels between these two regions. Asia-US strategic and economic relationship, a teaching and research It will also provide undergraduate and postgraduate teaching centre, and a conduit for a deeper Australian understanding of US and opportunities for Australian students to study in the US to gain an business, culture, history, politics and foreign policy. It will work in close international perspective and critical understanding of American politics, partnership with the United States Studies Centre at the University of foreign policy, business, law, media, culture and society. Sydney and add new dimensions, drawing on the distinctive attributes of WA and its existing relationship to Asia. Professor Paul Johnson, UWA Vice-Chancellor, said the Perth USAsia CSIRO joins change Centre would rapidly become a globally significant institution, drawing research community strength from proximity to Asia and the expertise and existing links in WA. Australia has joined the International Institute for Applied Systems “The Perth USAsia Centre will be in a unique position, both Analysis (IIASA), which specialises in the application of advanced systems geographically and in a policy sense, to analyse and understand the US analysis to examine the complex systems that are at the heart of today’s and Asia,” Professor Johnson said. global challenges, specifically energy, water, food, climate change and Perth USAsia Centre is a $10 million initiative between the US Studies population growth. Centre, the American Australian Association and UWA, with major Membership of IIASA, which is based in Europe, offers Australian funding from the Australian and WA governments and US corporations. research agencies coordinated access to networks of national science The Perth USAsia Centre will initially specialise in three policy areas: academies, research organisations and networks and also supports the ¢ the Australia-Asia-US strategic and economic triangle – evolving efforts of many Australian research organisations, including CSIRO, to political-military relations in the Indo-Pacific, including American grow international partnerships and collaborations. military presence in north-west Australia and Australia’s defence CSIRO will be the National Member Organisation that represents procurement plans, including next-generation submarines; WA’s Australia on the governing council. IIASA is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological Hillary Rodham Clinton at UWA. and social change. It is independent and funded by scientific institutions in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. IIASA’s 20 national members include Austria, Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Russian Federation, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, and the US. RMIT gets $80m Design Hub An $80 million centre for design research and teaching at RMIT will help increase cross-disciplinary collaboration with industry in Australia and on the international stage. Opening the Design Hub at RMIT, the Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, said the massive 10-storey, 13,000M2 centre was built with $28.6 million from the Australian Government through the Education Investment Fund. “Design is a building block for innovation, it contributes to local industries and increases economic productivity,” Senator Evans said. “The Design Hub provides the research space needed – at a scale never previously available at RMIT or elsewhere in Australia – to increase research and postgraduate teaching in design. “The new Hub brings together Australian design researchers, leading international researchers and industry practitioners to work on joint projects, from architecture to interior design. “The Hub gives Australian students and researchers the space they need for the sort of cross-disciplinary research that will make Australia truly innovative in this field and be more competitive in the global economy.” december 12 Focus 32 Research & Technology www.atse.org.au

Online media coaching resource for scientists The misrepresentation of science and a need for more science heroes in the media are the driving forces behind a new online tool for scientists. Keith Leslie Developed by the Australian Science Media Centre with support from prepares the magnetic sensor CSIRO, Science Media Savvy is a pioneering online tool to help scientists for field trials. work with the media and better inform public debate on major issues. Featuring interviews with news journalists and editors, advice from researchers experienced in media, and videos highlighting how to improve print and broadcast interview experiences, this free resource provides tips and advice for understanding and dealing with the news media. “We have to engage with the media because there’s so much misunderstanding and misrepresentation of science,” says Nobel Laureate and Science Media Savvy contributor Professor Peter Doherty AC. “Science needs its own heroes who are willing to step forward and go into bat for science,” says editor-in-chief of news.com.au and Science Media Savvy contributor David Penberthy. “It’s important too to recognise that the general public is more sophisticated than they are often given credit for.” : CSIRO : The instant online availability of Science Media Savvy.org will help

fill a gap in terms of what is currently available to scientists, giving them P hoto advice on dealing with the media as they need it, from any internet- enabled computer, mobile phone or tablet. CSIRO working to find More information: ScienceMediaSavvy.org sea floor explosives Using technology developed to find mineral deposits underground, CSIRO has developed a sensor to detect undetonated explosives on the Building thermometer sea floor. accuracy More than 10 million acres of the world’s coastal waters are Australian physicists are on a quest to build the world’s most accurate contaminated by undetonated explosives, according to the US thermometer. A $150,000 Precision Measurement Grant from the US National Government agency the Strategic Environmental Research and Institute of Standards and Technology will fund theoretical research at the Development Program (SERDP). Typically, these small explosives rust and University of Queensland and optical experiments based at the University of corrode at sea, making them even more dangerous. Adelaide with support from the University of Western Australia. The sensor was developed as part of a project with SERDP and Lead researcher, UQ’s Dr Tom Stace, says the grant will support the US-based research organisation Sky Research. It has been proved in a research team in using quantum mechanics to create a thermometer stationary laboratory environment. Trials have been conducted to prove it capable of measuring temperature to an accuracy of better than one in motion, in preparation for anticipated underwater trials. part in a million. The team also involved Professor Andre Luiten of the Its technique is very similar to that used to detect underground University of Adelaide and UWA’s Professor Eric May. mineral deposits, says CSIRO electrical engineer Dr Keith Leslie. Dr Stace says the grant paves the way for an exciting project “Our highly sensitive sensor – the high temperature superconducting that is critical in a century-long international physics effort to base tensor gradiometer – delivers significantly more information about the measurement units, such as the metre and the Kelvin, on fundamental target’s magnetic field than conventional sensors used for this type of physical constants, rather than specific physical, reference objects. As detection,” Dr Leslie says. “It provides data on the location, characterisation part of this effort, the physics community wants to define fundamental and magnetic qualities of a target, whether it is a gold deposit or an constants as exact quantities. explosive. The Precision Measurement Grants, which started in 1972, have never “The marine environment is difficult to sample due to electrical before been awarded outside North America. Of 25 proposals submitted currents produced by waves, which affect underwater magnetic fields. In this year, only two were successful. mineral exploration, near-surface deposits are being exhausted, leading The US National Institute of Standards and Technology, a branch our search for minerals deeper underground, where targets are more of the US Federal Government Department of Commerce, is one of difficult to detect with traditional surface and airborne measurements.” America’s oldest physical science laboratories, established to enable US The CSIRO sensor can provide valuable geological information that industrial competitiveness at the turn of last century. discriminates between prospective and non-prospective areas or targets. The Institute’s measurements support the smallest of technologies It avoids unnecessary drilling and minimises the risk of overlooking – nanoscale devices so tiny that tens of thousands can fit on the end of valuable mineral deposits. a single human hair – to the largest and most complex of human-made Eventually the technology may renew exploration efforts at creations, from earthquake-resistant skyscrapers to wide-body jetliners to abandoned sites where drilling programs were based on insufficient or global communication networks. inaccurate information. It also has the potential to help clear landmines. Focus december 12 www.atse.org.au review 33

Now hear this! The Cochlear story

By Ian Rae [email protected]

ollowing her Doctor of Business resistance by deaf people (and their Administration thesis on small firms communication therapists) who did not in the Australian biotechnology want their silences disturbed by technology. industry, Veronica Bondarew set While this treatment is effective in Fout to write the Cochlear story. The book meeting its objective of personalising was at an advanced stage when she had much of the story, it does blur the timeline to abandon it, but it was ‘brought back and also presents the technology as to life’ by Peter Seligman, himself an something of a Glass Bead Game, the This is the first book in CSIRO’s Bright important player in the Cochlear story. details of which the reader can struggle Ideas series in which “each book will Why, you might ask, do we need to put together into a coherent package. provide a fascinating and accessible another book on Cochlear, one of For the big picture, I found it helpful story on a single invention that has Australia’s best-known innovation to read Clark’s 2000 book, after which changed our everyday lives”. stories, when authors can list several I was able to go back to the details. others in their bibliography. Bondarew and Seligman include Part of the answer is that none of the a technology-dense chapter entitled existing literature takes the story beyond ‘Software and Hardware’ in which they 2000 when Professor Graeme Clark AC relate the continual development of the FRS FAA FTSE published his Sounds device, including the company’s practice of from Silence. Interesting things have updating earlier recipients as new models happened since then, especially in the were developed, thus operationalising the past eight years since Dr Chris Roberts company motto ‘Hear now. And always’. FTSE took over as CEO and President. The bionic ear consists of an implant A more cogent answer is that this book with electrical connections to key nerves is organised on quite different lines, with and a battery-powered external module to chapters devoted to the contributions detect and process sounds before delivering of different categories of people – them across the skin to the implanted entrepreneur, scientist, politician and device. Initially this speech processor The Cochlear Story by Veronica public servant, engineer, surgeon, marketer was large and the task of miniaturising Bondarew and Peter Seligman (CSIRO – and to the impacts on recipients. it so that it could be carried in a pocket Publishing – Bright Ideas 2012, A number of the featured people are or eventually worn on the head is one paperback, 248pp; $49.95) fellows of the Academy of Technological of the fascinating story lines. Part of Sciences and Engineering – Clark himself, it, to give just a simple example, is the with 70 per cent of the global market of course, Catherine Livingstone and inclusion of magnets inside and outside (and 160,000 satisfied customers). While Chris Roberts. As well as detailing the the skin, to ensure maximum efficiency by the lives of recipients and those around personal contributions, Bondarew and aligning the processor with the implant. them are profoundly affected, this is Seligman tell us a lot about the business In the last few pages, there is a a small number on the global scale. strategies and the company’s up and downs. good index, a short bibliography and It will be interesting to see what is There is good coverage of the period some pertinent photographs. judged in subsequent CSIRO volumes as when the project was owned by Pacific This is the first book in CSIRO’s affecting ‘our lives’. Dunlop and the reasons it was cut free; Bright Ideas series in which “each the success of Catherine Livingstone AO book will provide a fascinating and Professor Ian Rae FTSE, an Honorary Professorial FTSE – a ‘saving grace’ – in getting things accessible story on a single invention Fellow at the University of Melbourne, is a former back on track; and strong leadership at that has changed our everyday lives”. Technical Director of ATSE. He was President of the Board level by David Pennington. There are Incredible though it is, Cochlear Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2006–08) and interesting stories, too, of struggles to meet is only one such implantable device for has served for more than a decade as a technical regulatory requirements and to overcome overcoming deafness, albeit a major one adviser to the United Nations Environment Program. december 12 Focus 34 Australian academy of Technological sciences and engineering

numbernumber 175 173 DecemberAugust 2012 2012

Gardens in Kew to take up a new Chair in Synchrotron Holding Company Pty Ltd. Biodiversity at UWA, was inducted into the WA The Australian Nuclear Science and Science Hall of Fame at the Western Australian Technology Organisation (ANSTO), which will Science Awards 2012 in Perth in October. manage the Synchrotron, has welcomed the The WA Science Hall of Fame recognises appointment. meritorious contribution to the science “Professor Larkins has extensive experience community over an extended period of time. in scientific research, health and academic Winthrop Professor Stephen Powles FAA management,” said ANSTO CEO Dr Adi Paterson FTSE, an international expert on herbicide FTSE. “As a former Vice-Chancellor and President resistance in crops and weeds who has of Monash University, Professor Larkins is a made significant contributions to Australian long-term partner of the Australian Synchrotron agriculture, was a Scientist of the Year Finalist. and understands the needs of this landmark Dr Bernard Bowen AM FTSE accepted the Australian science infrastructure. award for Scientist of the Year on behalf of “We are absolutely delighted that Professor Peter Quinn, whose efforts to develop someone of Professor Larkins’ calibre will be Stephen Hopper and Lyn Beazley at the dinner. WA’s radio astronomy capabilities played a bringing his invaluable experience to the central role in the success of the Australian Synchrotron at this important time in its Square Kilometre array campaign. history. ANSTO is very much Fellows in WA WA’s Chief Scientist, and member of the looking forward to working ATSE WA Committee, Professor Lyn Beazley AO with Professor Larkins to deliver Science Awards FTSE, and WA Science and Innovation Minister the Australian Synchrotron as a John Day attended the presentation dinner. truly national science facility,” Dr limelight Paterson said. Richard Larkins to Professor Larkins succeeds Internationally acclaimed plant conservation Chair Synchrotron Mrs Catherine Walter AM after biologist Professor Stephen Hopper AC FTSE, Emeritus Professor Richard Larkins AO FTSE her five years as Chair. who recently stepped down as director of has been appointed Chair of the Australian London’s World HEeritage-listed Royal Botanic Synchrotron Company Ltd and the Australian Richard Larkins

SA farewells Peter Høj The University of South Australia farewelled Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj FTSE (right) before he left to take up the VC role at The University of Queensland. Farewelling him are (from left) ATSE Director Stephen Powles (right) receives his certificate Emeritus Professor Mike Miller AO FTSE, UniSA Director of Services Ms Carol Sutherland, and SA Division from Minister John Day. Chair and UniSA Chancellor Mr David Klingberg AO FTSE. focus december 12 www.atse.org.au ATSE IN FOCUS 35 P hoto Graham Schaffer addresses the launch breakfast. A ndrew : T Tony McMichael allon

ANU farewells Harold Tony McMichael Clough

The Australian National University recently Smart Engineering of their Masters of Professional Engineering held a two-day conference covering issues Report launched degree. from climate change to lead poisoning to The Academy was a key partner in the launch UWA Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Bill commemorate the 40-year career of Professor event in Brisbane in November of the report Louden said the program had contributed Tony McMichael AO FTSE. Engineering Queensland – The Smart Engineering significantly to the university’s success. To mark the world-renowned researcher’s State, prepared by Professor Graham Schaffer “Dr Clough was instrumental in creating retirement from the National Centre for FTSE in collaboration with the Office of the one of the first successful university-industry Epidemiology and Population Health, ANU Queensland Chief Scientist, Dr Geoff Garrett AO partnerships and this laid the foundations for hosted a festschrift – a formal celebration of FTSE (see Focus 174). many other successful ongoing UWA-industry his career. The breakfast launch, at Brisbane’s Customs partnerships,” Professor Louden said. Experts from around the world gathered House, posed the questions: ’Can Queensland to present talks on the wide range of subjects – as a cluster of firms, universities and research STELR at teachers’ Professor McMichael has looked at over the organisations – provide global scale and conference past four decades, foremost of which are the specialised engineering services to compete Rod Dunstan, STELR Education Officer, health consequences of climate change. internationally? Can Brisbane be a true world recently attended the National Conference for “The effects of climate changes in the engineering city, along the lines of Houston, Environmental and Sustainability Educators in past are really just a small taste of what USA? Is this desired? Is it even possible? And Melbourne. we could expect to happen in the coming what do we need to do to get there?’ Thea Nicholls is at Melbourne’s century,” Professor McMichael said. The launch of the Report – a proposal Brentwood College, one the STELR schools “For example, with warming, mosquito- for building Queensland as a global centre of involved in the STELR /API Solar Car Program. borne Japanese encephalitis could spread to engineering excellence – allowed attendees Thea said that the STELR program was a Australia via Cape York.” to engage with an expert panel on the topics. hit with teachers and students and the solar One area that Professor McMichael is It was a partnership between the Queensland cars got some of her least motivated students passionate about is creating strategies to deal Government, UQ, Engineers Australia and ATSE. really involved. “They came in at lunchtimes with the effects of climate change, such as The Customs House Long Room event to work on their cars, which is a first for them the rising number of deaths during severe drew people from industry, government and and something I certainly was surprised by,” heat-waves. academe, including new Fellows, Mr Andy Greig Thea said. “We’ve built our cities in ways that FTSE – who told the audience he would be often maximise them as heat traps,” he said. supporting ATSE’s education endeavours – and “During a heat-wave, not only do residents Mr Charlie Sartain FTSE. get exposed to the extremes during the day, but temperatures don’t go down at night. We UWA Clough scholars need more green space, more ventilation, and program relaunched better insulation of private houses and public Top engineering students at The University of buildings.” Western Australia will again have the opportunity to apply for scholarships through the Clough Keynote speakers at the Scholars program, which has been revived. conference were: The program was established in 1969 and ¢ Professor Alistair Woodward, University of was the brainchild of former Clough chairman Auckland; and managing director Dr Harold Clough AO OBE ¢ Dr Sari Kovats, London School of Hygiene FTSE. It has awarded more than 200 scholarships and Tropical Medicine; and to WA’s brightest engineering students. Past ¢ Professor Kirk Smith, University of California recipients include government, business and Berkley. resource industry leaders. A book of invited essays based on the Clough will award four scholarships each festschrift will be published next year. year to top students in the first and final year Rod Dunstan and Thea Nicholls. december 12 Focus 36 ATSE IN FOCUS www.atse.org.au Top business leaders join ATSE

Leading business figures are prominent among The full list follows Professor Don Bursill AM FTSE the new Fellows elected to the Academy. Chief Scientist, South Australia They include Mr Michael Chaney AO Professor Bursill has made an outstanding FTSE, Sir Rod Eddington AO FTSE, Mr Alan contribution to the water industry and Joyce FTSE, Dr Marius Kloppers FTSE and Mr government. He has spent 39 years in Sam Walsh AO FTSE. the water industry, with his principal They are among 37 Australian researchers, 2012 FELLOWS interests being in water quality policy and technological scientists, engineering, management, treatment technologies, water innovation and business leaders in water, Professor Rose Amal FTSE resources planning and management and energy, resources and medical technologies Scientia Professor, The University of analytical techniques. He is nationally and elected as Fellows of the Academy. New South Wales internationally recognised for his expertise The new Fellows include some of Professor Amal is an internationally recognised and leadership and has headed a number of the most prominent women in Australia’s chemical engineering researcher. Her work international collaborative programs. technology industries, including Professor on particle and catalyst technologies has Rose Amal FTSE, Dr Bronwyn Evans FTSE, resulted in safer and cleaner water supplies Professor Edward Byrne AO FTSE Dr Katrina Fairley-Grenot FTSE, Ms Karlene and has fuelled dramatic improvements Vice-Chancellor and President, Maywald FTSE, Ms Chloe Munro FTSE and in waste management through innovative Monash University Professor Robyn Owens FTSE. approaches to recycling and clean energy. Her Professor Byrne has made important The Vice President of the Chinese achievements have been recognised by her contributions to clinical neurology and Academy of Sciences, Professor Jinghai Li appointment as a Director of an ARC Centre of neurological research, most notably FTSE, was recognised a new Foreign Fellow in Excellence and ARC Professorial Fellow and as a elucidating the role of mitochondrial failure the Academy’s annual election process. UNSW Scientia Professor while still at a relatively in common disorders and human ageing. He Other prominent figures elected include: early stage of her career. has had a long engagement with industry Professor Don Bursill AM FTSE, SA Chief through leadership of major academic Scientist; Professor Ed Byrne AO FTSE, Monash Dr Ian Brown FTSE industry collaborations, development of University Vice Chancellor; Mr Andy Greig FTSE, CEO and Managing Director, Clover Neurosciences Victoria and Neurosciences MD, Bechtel Australia; Mr Jim Hallion FTSE, Coporation Ltd Australia, and Board membership of Head, Department of Premier and Cabinet, SA; Dr Brown has successfully led industrial substantial companies such as Cochlear and Mr David Knox FTSE, CEO, Santos; Mr Charlie programs to develop technologically advanced Bupa. He is Deputy Chair of the Group of Sartain FTSE, CEO, Xstrata; and Mr Hamish innovative products that meet commercial Eight universities. Tyrwhitt FTSE, CEO, Leighton Holdings. customer and consumer needs. He has Health technology figures elected include applied existing science and fostered research Dr Peter Carberry FTSE Professor Branko Celler FTSE, Dr Andrew collaborations to substantiate the health Deputy Director, CSIRO Sustainable Cuthbertson FTSE and Professor Klaus value of food ingredients he has developed. Agriculture Flagship Schindhelm FTSE. Himaize™, the world’s first commercial Dr Carberry is internationally recognised Prominent ICT names include Dr John resistant-starch ingredient, developed under in the science and application of systems O’Sullivan FTSE, Dr Terence Percival FTSE, his leadership, is used in bakery and other research and modelling in agriculture. He is Professor Stan Skafidas FTSE and Mr Glenn consumer products worldwide to enhance a key developer of the APSIM (Agricultural Wightwick FTSE. bowel health. Production Systems sIMulator) model and its

Rose Amal Don Bursill Ed Byrne focus december 12 www.atse.org.au ATSE IN FOCUS 37

commercial delivery. He has been instrumental Ms Janis Cocking FTSE Australia and was commissioned by the in increasing the participation of Australian Chief, Maritime Platforms Division, British Government to study and report on farmers and agribusiness in delivering Defence Science & Technology links between transport and the economy. outcomes from research investments. He has Organisation He was CEO of British Airways and Cathay led soil fertility development projects in south Ms Cocking led the scientific and technological Pacific Airways, and board roles have included Asia and Africa. support program for the Collins class Qantas, Ansett, Rio Tinto, JP Morgan and submarines, solving many problems that beset News Corporation. Professor Branko Celler FTSE the early submarines of the class. She has also Chief Scientist, CSIRO ICT Centre demonstrated how unmanned underwater Dr Bronwyn Evans FTSE Professor Celler is an internationally regarded systems can complement manned submarines Senior Vice President Quality, leader in the field of Telehealth and was in delivering enhanced defence capability. Clinical & Regulatory, Cochlear Ltd among the first to recognise the importance She now serves with distinction as Chief of Dr Evans is an outstanding Australian of community-based management of chronic DSTO’s Maritime Platforms Division, where she engineering leader who has effectively disease in ageing populations – now an oversees the S&T support program for the Royal promoted engineering as a rewarding issue of huge social and financial importance Australian Navy’s fleet. career for women. She is Chair of Engineers to healthcare services globally. Through Australia’s National Board of the Centre for successful commercialisation via Telemedcare Dr Andrew Cuthbertson FTSE Engineering Leadership and Management Pty Ltd, Professor Celler has made an R&D Director and Chief Scientific (CELM) and Chair of the Advisory Board of enduring impact upon the development Officer, CSL Ltd ROBOGALS. She is a director of both The and realisation of telehealth products and Dr Andrew Cuthbertson has a distinguished John Holland Group and The Warren Centre services. record of research – at the University of for Advanced Engineering and was named Melbourne, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, by EA in 2007 among Australia’s Top 25 Most Mr Michael Chaney AO FTSE Howard Florey Institute and the US Influential Female Engineers. Chairman, Woodside Petroleum Ltd National Eye Institute – into the molecular and National Australia Bank, development biology of the eye and eye Dr Katrina Fairley-Grenot FTSE and Chancellor, The University of diseases. Dr Cuthbertson has a keen interest in Advisor, Science and Technology Western Australia biotechnology drug development, particularly Policy Fellow, Austalian Institute of Mr Chaney has had an outstanding impact on in the emerging field of immunotherapy. He Company Directors Australia’s minerals resource industry. From played a lead role in the commercialisation of Dr Grenot has demonstrated the talent and eight early years as a petroleum geologist, the Gardasil recombinant vaccine against the experience to integrate visible and invisible he moved to the Australian Industry human papilloma virus. trends into well-designed plans to address Development Corporation where he was complex challenges such as strengthening involved in financing for the North-West Shelf Sir Rod Eddington AO FTSE Australia’s innovation system. Her roles include development. He then joined Wesfarmers Chairman, Infrastructure Australia Chair of the Rural Research and Development where, as Managing Director, he diversified Sir Rod has built on an outstanding education Council, Member of the Prime Minister’s the company across a range of activities in engineering and a Rhodes Scholarship to Science Engineering and Innovation Council including coal mining, gas processing become one of Australia’s most accomplished and Carbon-Energy-Water Intersection Expert and distribution, chemicals and fertiliser and influential industry and business leaders. Working Group and Australian Research manufacture and rail transport. He is the inaugural chair of Infrastructure Committee Expert Advisory Group.

Sir Rod Eddington Andy Greig

Michael Chaney december 12 Focus 38 ATSE IN FOCUS www.atse.org.au

Professor Kevin Galvin FTSE led the development of R&D through to diagnosis and research. He developed an Director, Centre for Advanced commercialisation and to international markets international system for veterinary laboratory Particle Processing and Transport, through various CEO roles. Dr Godfrey has also accreditation and developed and managed University of Newcastle played an important part in the development laboratory networks, supporting the global Professor Galvin is the inventor of the Reflux and implementation of energy R&D strategy for eradication of rinderpest and other livestock Classifier, a radical separation technology Australian governments. disease control programs, delivering used in mineral processing. Each unit can significant economic benefits. Since 2002, recover $100 million worth of coal a year Mr Jim Hallion FTSE he has managed the redevelopment of the and sales and orders of the units are near Chief Executive, Department of Premier Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), 60. Impact of his work has been recognised and Cabinet, South Australia now a leading global research institute. by the 2012 Ian Wark Medal, the IChemE Mr Hallion is an engineer and Chief Executive, Innovation Award in 2010 and the B-HERT Department of Premier and Cabinet in South Mr Peter Johnson FTSE award in 2005. Recent industry take-up of Australia. He has been Chief Executive of the Principal, Arup Group Professor Galvin’s invention has been rapid, Departments of Industry and Trade, Primary Mr Peter Johnson is an Australian consulting with exports to eight countries. Industries and Resources, and Transport, Energy engineer specialising in fire safety engineering and Infrastructure. He has been involved in design. He has led the Arup Group’s Division Mr Andy Greig FTSE many major infrastructure projects and has with more than 200 engineers in 23 offices Managing Director, Bechtel Australia revitalised SA’s resources industry and its gas around the world from an Australian base. The and President, Bechtel Corporation, and electricity markets. Mr Hallion has also projects are important – Heathrow Airport Mining and Metals Global Business been active in water reform and is a Member of T5 Terminal, Beijing Olympic Aquatic Centre Unit Infrastructure Australia. (Water Cube), Sydney Opera House upgrade Mr Greig has grown Bechtel Australia to staff and Denmark’s Fehmarbelt Tunnel. Earlier he numbers of about 3500, servicing major Dr Paul Heithersay PSM FTSE was involved in the program that reformed infrastructure projects across Australia. These Executive Director, Department for the building regulations, with seminal include most of the nation’s major liquefied Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, influence on fire safety. natural gas facilities, the largest coal services Resources and Energy, SA facility in the world and Rio Tinto’s Yarwan 2 Dr Heithersay has arguably been the most Mr Alan Joyce FTSE alumina refinery. In 2002, Mr Greig convinced influential government scientist/executive in Managing Director and Chief Bechtel management that Brisbane rather the global minerals sector over the past decade. Executive Officer, Qantas Airways Ltd than Denver was the logical home for the The initiatives implemented to encourage Mr Joyce has a record of achievement in Mining and Metals Unit – one of five business mineral exploration and development in South the airline industry. He obtained a Bachelor lines that make up the Bechtel international Australia have been copied by government of Science in Applied Science (Physics and empire. agencies worldwide. SA has gone from Mathematics) with Honours and a Master a mineral exploration and development of Science in Management Science, both Dr Bruce Godfrey FTSE backwater to being consistently ranked among from Trinity College, Dublin. His airline work Principal and Director, Wyld Group the world's best places for the minerals industry included information technology, network Dr Godfrey has had sustained and to do business. planning, schedules planning, operations outstanding impact in the leadership, research and network strategy. Mr Joyce is nurturing and commercialisation of Professor Martyn Jeggo FTSE recognised for his leadership in Australia’s energy research and development and Director, Australian Animal Health airline industry at Ansett, Jetstar and Qantas. innovation in Australia and internationally. Laboratory, CSIRO He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical His focus has been on the SME (small and Professor Jeggo is recognised nationally Society. medium business) sector where he has and internationally for veterinary laboratory Dr Marius Kloppers FTSE Chief Executive Officer, BHP Billiton Peter Johnson Dr Kloppers has built on an education in chemical engineering and materials, with a PhD from MIT, to become a leading world figure in the minerals industry. He began his career in South Africa and, after receiving his MBA, worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co in the Netherlands. He joined the Billiton Group in 1993, where he was a core member of the team that created the group’s aluminium business. Mr Kloppers played a central role in the merger of BHP and Marius Kloppers Billiton and is chairman of the International Council on Mining and Metals. focus december 12 www.atse.org.au ATSE IN FOCUS 39

Mr David Knox FTSE a practicable difference in embedding application of this research to innovations Chief Executive Officer and sustainability practices. She has made have led to major improvements in human Managing Director, Santos Ltd an exceptional contribution, both to the health and wellbeing, nationally and Mr Knox is an influential industry leader in development of researchers and the continuing internationally. She is recognised widely for South Australia and the nation. A mechanical professional development of industry and her scholarship, her productive collaboration engineer, he has 30 years’ experience in community groups. with researchers and practitioners from other the global oil and gas industry, including disciplines, her contribution to system-wide Managing Director of BP Developments in Ms Chloe Munro FTSE excellence in research and research policy Australasia and positions with BP, ARCO and Chair and Chief Executive Officer, and her contributions to professional and Shell in Australia, the UK, US, the Netherlands, Clean Energy Regulator community bodies. Norway and Pakistan. He is Chairman of Ms Munro has pursued a career at the interface APPEA, a Council Member of Business Council of science and technology, public policy, service Dr Terence Percival FTSE Australia and the Royal Institute of Australia, delivery and corporate finance. Following Director, Broadband and Digital and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, New Zealand appointments leading to the Economy Business Team, NICTA Australia. creation of Crown Research Institutes, she Dr Percival has made major contributions held appointments in the Victorian Treasury; in telecommunications and wireless The Hon Karlene Maywald FTSE as Secretary of two Victorian Government internet, transforming successful research Chair and Commissioner, National departments; senior positions in Telstra; and to industry and achieving global impact. Water Commission, and Consultant, Commissioner and Chairman of the National These are exemplified by development Maywald Consultants Pty Ltd Water Commission. She holds a number of of a new standard for international Ms Maywald has had a lifetime involvement significant Board appointments. satellite communications, a key role in with the River Murray, particularly in the the development and patenting of Wi-Fi, South Australian Riverland, and a thorough Dr John O’Sullivan FTSE resulting in more than $750 million benefit understanding of Australian water resource Honorary Fellow, CSIRO to Australia, and pioneering the application management. She understands the specific Dr O’Sullivan’s innovation, research and of broadband in telehealth and film post- science of River Murray operations, their leadership in wireless technologies and production. impact on communities, and the need for networking has impacted on the global those communities to understand and use of computers, the internet and how we Mr Charlie Sartain FTSE respect the need for a sustainable river flow work through a patented invention that Chief Executive Officer, in the river. As a SA Government Minister she has now been incorporated in more than a Xstrata Copper marketed the need for change to landholders billion devices produced world-wide. The Mr Sartain is a highly respected industry and public servants. financial impact of this invention has been leader and mining engineer. With MIM significant for Australia. He has also made Holdings he rose to Executive Manager, Professor Cynthia Mitchell FTSE significant contributions to radio astronomy Latin America and General Manager of Professor, Institute for Sustainable instrumentation that have impacted on the Minera Alumbrera, Argentina. Since Xstrata’s Futures, University of Technology, operation of radio telescopes as well as new 2003 takeover of MIM and his global Sydney telescope development. appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Professor Mitchell is making outstanding Xstrata Copper, he has grown the company contributions in water cycle management Professor Robyn Owens FTSE from ninth to fourth largest copper miner in in industrial and urban settings. Her work Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research, the world, with a network of global mines all for change is highly valued by industry and The University of Western Australia run from Brisbane. Mr Sartain is responsible community groups, striking the balance Professor Owens’ fundamental research in for mines in Peru, Argentina, The Philippines between relevance and rigour and making computer science and her collaborative and PNG.

Chloe Munro

Karlene Maywald Robyn Owens december 12 Focus 40 ATSE IN FOCUS www.atse.org.au

Professor Klaus Schindhelm FTSE companies in the world to reduce underground Mr Sam Walsh AO FTSE Senior Vice President – Global mine development and haulage costs. Profesor Chief Executive, Iron Ore Group, Applied Research, ResMed Ltd Thomas has won a national teaching award for Rio Tinto Ltd Professor Schindhelm has significantly her contribution to engineering education and Following a distinguished career in the enhanced Australia’s international leadership mentorship and is a passionate ambassador for automotive industry with General Motors in the area of medical devices/materials as a women in science and engineering. and Nissan Australia, Mr Walsh joined Rio result of his successful research, development Tinto where he became Chief Executive and translation into commercial reality. His Mr Hamish Tyrwhitt FTSE of the Aluminium Group. He is now Chief research at the University of New South Chief Executive Officer and Managing Executive of Rio Tinto’s global Iron Ore Wales was instrumental in development of Director, Leighton Holdings Group and has overseen its rapid expansion, artificial organ systems and biomaterials for Mr Tyrwhitt is an accomplished civil engineer with with more than US$7 billion spent on contact lens applications. Research led by 27 years’ experience in the construction industry. mine expansions and major infrastructure Professor Schindhelm at ResMed resulted He is Chief Executive Officer and Managing developments since 2004. He has led a in computerised methods to detect/treat Director of Leighton Holdings, an international technological initiative for automation in the abnormal breathing in sleep, thus securing contractor operating in more than 20 countries, mining industry, culminating in the centre the international market for this Australian and the world’s largest contract miner. The in Perth for remote operation of much company. Leighton Group employs more than 50,000 of the Pilbara fixed plant, mobile and rail people. Hamish Tyrwhitt previously led Leighton equipment. Professor Stan Skafidas FTSE Asia Ltd, which covered operations in Mongolia, Director, Centre for Neural The Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia and India. Mr Glenn Wightwick FTSE Engineering, University of Melbourne Director R&D & CTO, Professor Skafidas is recognised for his Ms Leonie Walsh FTSE IBM Australia vision, leadership and major technical Director, Productive Management Mr Wightwick has made a major accomplishments in industry, research Solutions Pty Ltd contribution to developing Australia’s institutions, academia and international Ms Walsh’s career has demonstrated an ICT industrial R&D base, driving the standardisation committees. Adaptive exceptional combination of technical establishment and growth of IBM’s Australian frequency-hopping technology that he excellence, leadership and strategic vision Technology Development Laboratory to developed now forms a critical part of the in the area of technological innovation and become one of the largest in Australia, with Bluetooth standard and has been incorporated commercialisation. Starting from her successes more than 650 staff, and then driving the in several billion devices. His research in nano- in polymer chemistry at Dow, she has advanced establishment of IBM’s Australian Research electronics has advanced the disciplines of to globally significant successes in technology Laboratory. He is a significant contributor wireless communications, single chip radars commercialisation and and strategic leadership to Australia’s innovation system, with key and medical diagnostic systems. in industrial innovation. She is President of the Government and university roles, and is Australasian Industrial Research Group. one of the best known and respected ICT Dr Erica Smyth FTSE industry R&D leaders in Australia. Chair, Toro Energy Ltd Dr Smyth is exceptional for her leadership of technology-based enterprises, particularly 2012 FOREIGN FELLOW through policy and technical improvement/ innovation. She is Chair of Toro Energy Professor Jinghai Li FTSE (uranium), Scitech, the Diabetes Research Vice President, Chinese Academy Foundation (WA) and ScreenWest, and of Sciences Director of ANSTO, EMECO Holdings Ltd Professor Li has pioneered the comprehensive (heavy earth moving equipment) and Energy-Minimisation Multi-Scale (EMMS) the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western theory for gas-solid systems. The theory has Australia). She is an influential and been applied to many different complex inspirational advocate of the minerals and systems, and generalised into the EMMS energy industries. paradigm of computation featuring the structural similarity ranging from multiphase Professor Doreen Thomas FTSE flow fundamentals to software and hardware Associate Dean (Research & Research application, leading to the construction of Training) and Head of Mechnical supercomputers. His research outcomes Engineering, University of Melbourne have been widely used in the chemical and Professor Thomas has an outstanding energy industries. He plays an important international reputation for fundamental role in formulating policies for science and mathematical research in network engineering in China, and fostering close optimisation. The software encapsulating Glen Wightwick research collaborations between Australia her work is now used by the largest mining and China. focus december 12 www.atse.org.au ATSE IN FOCUS 41

involvement. Professor Hearn is the Director of the Centre for Green Chemistry at Monash University. Under his leadership, the centre has recently received Commonwealth and Victorian government and industry support in investments of more than $100 million towards the creation of the Green Chemical Futures Centre and its imbedded industry- facing Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing. Paul Fraser Edwin van Leeuwen The aim of the centre is to stimulate interactions with Australian industry and to International after being Managing Director of provide major activities for the education Paul Fraser a Norilsk Nickel Australia since July 2010. of the general public through programs He still has links to Australia through the involving primary and secondary schools and CSIRO Fellow development of Norilsk’s Honeymoon Well public outreach groups. nickel deposit in Western Australia. The Norilsk Professor Hearn has mentored a Dr Paul Fraser FTSE, a Fellow since 2005, Nickel Group is the world's largest nickel and large number of successful PhD and MSc has been inducted as a CSIRO Fellow in palladium producer and one of the largest candidates, many of whom have gone on recognition of his world-leading research producers of platinum and copper. to make a major contribution to academia, relating to the major greenhouse gases (GHG) As Director of Business Development he industry and government in Australia and that drive climate change, as well as the will focus on commodities opportunities in abroad. conception and development of the Cape Africa, Australia, South America and Asia, which He has been involved with Australian Grim Air Archive in Tasmania. will diversify the Norilsk Nickel mineral portfolio. and international companies in numerous Dr Fraser has published more than 200 Dr van Leeuwen was global research and R&D projects and the transfer of chemical research papers and reviews, including 10 technology manager with BHP Billiton for technologies, and continues to be a scientific in Nature and Science. His research provides 24 years, leading a number of national and adviser to a number of companies prominent a scientific basis for efforts by Australian international research and technology groups in the chemical, pharmaceutical and industry and government to reduce GHG to develop innovative technologies for the biotechnological sectors. emissions. mining and petroleum industries. Professor Hearn is senior author of more “The work by people like Dr Paul From 1985–96 he worked in various roles than 550 scientific publications and several Fraser, who is a world leader in climate and at BHP as Manager Technology, Business books and is the inventor/co-inventor of 32 atmospheric research, is not only vital for Development and Minerals Development. From patents/patent applications. understanding and adapting to a changing 1996–01 he worked in BHP Minerals. climate, but is adding to the knowledge and From 2002–07 he worked as Global expertise of a whole generation of scientists Manager at BHP Billiton in Exploration, Mining around the world in a range of other areas,” said and Resource Optimisation. CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Megan Clark FTSE. From 2007–09 he worked as Global Dr Clark also announced that a team of Manager Strategic Countries and External that set a new world record of 10 gigabits Relations (including Russia, China and India), per second for wireless data transmission had BHP Billiton. been awarded the 2012 CSIRO Chairman’s In 2009 was appointed Director of Medal. The Ngara Backhaul Project Team Geothermal Energy at the University of was presented with the medal at the annual Melbourne and was awarded a VESKI CSIRO Awards in Canberra in October. Innovation Fellowship in April 2010. Gigabit wireless networks can be used to In 2002 he won an ATSE Clunies Ross award complement high-speed fibre connections, for his contributions to exploration geophysics. in infrastructure for mobile communications, and for ad hoc communications services. This Milton Hearn wins technology is at least 100 times faster than Leighton Medal current Wireless Local Area Networks. Professor Milton Hearn FTSE, a Fellow since 1990, has been awarded the Royal Australian Edwin van Leeuwen Chemical Institute’s highest honour, the goes to Moscow Leighton Memorial Medal, in recognition Dr Edwin van Leeuwen FTSE has moved to of his outstanding contributions to the Moscow to take up the position of Director field of chemistry in the areas of research, Milton Hearn of Business Development with Norilsk Nickel innovation, industry assistance and community december 12 Focus 42 Women IN TSE www.atse.org.au

Nancy Millis – extraordinary “As a friend of Nancy Millis’s of 55 years standing, it is an honour to pay tribute to her involvement and influence memory. Of all the great things she did, the one of most outstanding help to me was her This is an edited version of a tribute to Emeritus conservation, agriculture and so on. ATSE work in the regulation of research in genetic Professor Nancy Millis AC OBE FAA FTSE delivered was the Academy that embraced these very engineering. No Director of the Walter and at a memorial function in her honour at practical directions. Eliza Hall Institute could have had a steadier, University House, University of Melbourne, by She was a key part of the establishment more forceful and sensible hand on this very Emeritus Professor Adrienne Clarke AC FAA FTSE, of the Crawford Fund to support Agriculture in sensitive tiller. She captained the ship for a Chancellor of La Trobe University. developing countries. She steered the Academy’s very long time and set the pattern for the future.” It has been said that Australia is run by about – Professor Gus Nossal AC CBE FRS FAA 100 people. If that is so, Nancy was at least 10 FTSE, The University of Melbourne. of these. Her involvement and influence was “Nancy has been one of the great characters extraordinary. To each role she bought her and great stalwarts of the Academy for the sense of fun, her no-nonsense, practical past 35 years. She remained her same down- approach and her prodigious knowledge. to-earth, no-nonsense self until the end.” She was our walking Wikipedia. She – Professor John Zillman AO FAA FTSE, knew microbiology, molecular genetics, former President of the Academy water ecology – both freshwater and marine – entomology, ichthyology, botany, horticulture, soil science, conservation … and work to produce data and reports that could the list goes on. She was the sort of person inform Governments and decision makers and you wanted to be with. really make a difference. She attended most of She was vitally interested in all the people the Academy lectures and functions right up in the organisations of which she had been until the time of her accident. part. The number or these was immense. I would often drive her home after There were literally hundreds – appointment these events and she would always committees, review committees, promotion deliver a critical appraisal of the lecture committees and so on – from which her Nancy Millis celebrating her 90th birthday. and often of the lecturer too! It was always influence was felt far and wide. She was Chancellor of La Trobe University from 1992 to 2006. During these 14 years she presented degrees to about 30,000 graduates Ana Deletic wins Victoria Prize and oversaw a great expansion of the university. She is very fondly remembered for Professor Ana Deletic FTSE, who joined the Academy in 2011, has won the all the qualities we know so well. Her name $50,000 Physical Sciences Prize in the 2012 Victoria Prize for Science and is immortalised at the university, in many Innovation. ways: the Nancy Millis Room for entertaining guests, the Nancy Millis lecture series and a Professor Deletic, Professor of Civil Engineering and Director, Centre for Water research building at the Albury-Wodonga Sensitive Cities, Monash University, has established herself as a world leader in campus. She was particularly proud of the stormwater management, pioneering Biofiltration techniques, which enable achievements of the Biochemistry School and the removal of critical pollutants from captured urban runoff. of the beautiful grounds and gardens at the Bundoora campus. Her innovative engineering solutions, developed in a context of outstanding Five days before her death, she asked me interdisciplinary collaboration, make it possible to harness the potential about La Trobe, how it was travelling under of stormwater to overcome water shortages, reduce urban temperatures, the new leadership and what was in flower improve waterway health and aesthetically enhance urban environments in in the gardens. La Trobe was in her thoughts. order to create more liveable Australian cities for future generations. La Trobe is very proud to have had her as a critical part of their history and is planning their Professor Deletic’s innovation is already changing the face of urban stormwater own special memorial event in her honour. management. Her ground-breaking technology is operational at thousands She was Council member and Fellow of sites in Australia and is being rolled out in Singapore and Israel, providing a of ATSE. She was a very practical scientist. rare example of Australian technological innovation being adopted by nations She solved problems that were important that are themselves at the forefront of research and development in urban for Australia, in sewage, water management, water sustainability. focus december 12 www.atse.org.au Women IN TSE 43

an entertaining drive home. bridge with thee” – and I was able to respond “Oh Frabjous day, Callooh Callay.” Then there was her role in a small start- by saying: “And up spake brave Herminius, of We loved her joy of living and we “chortle up AgBio company, Hexima Ltd, of which Titian blood was he, I will abide on thy left side in our joy”. We did have such fun! She is sadly Professor Marilyn Anderson FTSE and I were and hold the bridge with thee”. missed. founding scientists. A critical time in the We laughed and she agreed. The decision company history was when it was ready to had far-reaching implications. Not only were embark on field trials of the transgenic cotton our own field trials successful, but the expertise “Nancy’s achievements in the field of it had developed. To enable this, the company in conducting field trials became another biotechnology were significant, but just needed to establish its own Institutional business for the company. An application for a as significant was the trail she blazed and Biosafety Committee (IBC). This was a field trial for a multinational was brought to the the barriers she broke down for women in prerequisite for undertaking field trials. Hexima IBC only last year. science.” Hexima was a small company with Marilyn described to me how Nancy, at 89 – Dr Megan Clark FTSE, CEO of CSIRO. limited resources and we wondered how years of age, went through the application line we could do it. After debating the problem, by line and struck terror into the heart of the “Nancy has been a shining light to scientists, we came to the position that if Nancy would consultant for the major company. He emerged including but not only women scientists, serve, we would be in a good position to fulfil sweating after his ordeal. Nancy was sharp and for so many decades. Her passing will be the other requirements. So I was delegated to diligent to the end. deeply felt by all of us. Nancy leaves behind make the request. She did not tolerate fools, cant or such a magnificent record of achievements, Nancy understood the seriousness of pomposity and her response to these could including her time on the Council of the the task. And here, as part of this story is be quite wicked. Sometimes she dealt them Australian Institute of Marine Science in another facet of Nancy’s life that has not been directly, as in “Bullshit!” – which I have heard ring the late 1980s/early 1990s when I had the mentioned, but one that I really loved – she out more than once or twice in meetings. In great pleasure of knowing her best. Her loved poetry. other situations, it was more subtle. contributions to biotechnology, marine She and I established many years ago that I also recall one particularly difficult and aquatic science were extraordinary. we had both been raised in times in which we meeting we were both at. It was clear that the And, above all, those who worked with her were expected to commit tracts of poetry to chairman was biased and as a preliminary to experienced her extraordinary and keen memory. We both knew many of the same poets dealing with the situation, Nancy turned to me intelligence, no matter the topic, her deep – some of her favourites were Lewis Carroll, AA and said, not too sotto voce: “The slithy tove” to knowledge and her drive to help make the Milne and, in this case, Lord Macauley. which I could reply, also not too quietly: “Yes, world a better and more well-founded place.” When I asked her to serve on the IBC for gyring and gimballing as fast as he can”. – Dr Meryl Williams FTSE, Chair of ACIAR us, she thought for a while and then said: “Yes Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jaberwocky‘ was one of her and former head of AIMS I will stand on thy right hand and hold the favorites and she would often greet me with:

Peer award for pain of $150 million, setting an Australian record as Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Pain professor the largest biotech IPO to date, and also the Medicine (ANZCA). She joined the Academy Professor Maree Smith FTSE, the Queensland largest biotech capital raising at an IPO. Its lead in 2011. pain research innovator, has been awarded a product, MoxDuo, is awaiting FDA approval. Professor Smith is Head of the Pain 2012 Life Sciences Queensland (LSQ) Industry In 2003, Professor Smith won a UniQuest Research Group in UQ’s School of Pharmacy Award for Excellence. Trailblazer for her idea for a novel analgesic, and directs its preclinical pharmacology The Award, selected by peer vote, is which has been developed by Spinifex research program, which focuses on presented to individuals who have made Pharmaceuticals and shown to be effective in a improving understanding of the mechanistic “significant contributions to the performance recently completed phase 2a clinical trial. basis of a range of pain states and their and success of the Queensland life sciences Professor Smith shared the LSQ Industry pharmacological management, with a view to industry” and “demonstrated a breadth of Excellence Award with Dr Jim Aylward, who alleviating chronic pain in patients. impact across the sector in Queensland”. patented Australia’s first FDA-approved cancer Congratulating Professor Smith on this Professor Smith has pursued life sciences chemotherapeutic drug. She is the co-founder latest honour, UniQuest Managing Director translational research at The and Executive Director David Henderson acknowledged the profound University of Queensland for more of the UQ Centre for impact her ground-breaking research will have than 20 years. Two key discoveries Integrated Preclinical Drug on pain therapies in the future. led to the formation of UniQuest Development/TetraQ and “New drugs based on Professor Smith’s start-up companies QRx Pharma a Professor of Pharmacy discoveries are close to market-ready, and Ltd and Spinifex Pharmaceuticals. at UQ. that’s not only because of the quality and QRxPharma was floated in In 2008, she received volume of her scientific endeavour; it’s 2007, listing on the Australian the Women in Technology also because she has played an active and Securities Exchange with 25 Biotech Outstanding integral role in the global biotech industry to million shares. It raised $50 million, Maree Smith Achievement Award and accelerate access to a whole new approach to with an initial market capitalisation in 2009 she was awarded pain management,” Mr Henderson said. december 12 Focus 44 ATSE IN FOCUS www.atse.org.au

The Code of the Apocalypse is an epic Richard Horsley: leader in adventure to exotic places to learn the secret of an ancient prophecy hidden within Mayan engineering and sport hieroglyphic inscriptions, which powerful human and alien forces plan to exploit during Emeritus Professor Richard Horsley FTSE, School of Process Engineering. He became a a foretold worldwide catastrophe – the from the Faculty of Science and Engineering Professor when WAIT became Curtin University Apocalypse. at Curtin University, died in Perth on 29 of Technology in 1987 and later served as An electronics engineer, Dr Cole has September, aged 71. He had been a Fellow the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (1991–98) and drawn upon a wide range of skills and since 1997. Executive Dean (1998–03). interests, which include graphic art, scientific Before becoming an Emeritus Professor During this period he was responsible for research, engineering design, manufacturing, in 2001, Professor Horsley served as the all academic and administrative matters for the international marketing, astronomy, history, Executive Dean of the Division of Science and Division of Engineering and Science at Curtin. languages and a passion for reading. Engineering for nearly 10 years. On retirement in 2003 he was appointed an He served eight years on the Prime Professor Horsley’s death was a big Emeritus Professor. Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation setback to the engineering and academic He was was an excellent sportsman with Council and is a former National President communities in Western Australia. He will be a high level of skills and achievements. He (2000–01) of Engineers Australia. He was remembered as an engineer, an academic played first grade rugby union with Eastwood founding Chair of Astronomy Australia Ltd. leader, a District Rugby Union Club in Sydney in the He holds dozens of patents and has sporting early 1960s, as a hooker. He also played tennis received numerous awards for leadership in champion, but at Wimbledon, qualifying for the first round in design and export of Australian products. His above all as a men's doubles in the Championships, although career has centred on the design of electronic great human not progressing further. He also represented products, systems and software for security being. English universities in tennis and was awarded and fire prevention, and he is best known for He had full colours for tennis while a graduate student pioneering the aspirated smoke detection more than at Bristol University. He continued to play industry worldwide. 30 years’ tennis at a high club level until he required The Code of the Pharaoh is a mystery experience knee surgery. In his latter years he became an adventure novel inspired by scientific and in mineral enthusiastic and competitive lawn bowler. historical facts that is set in the present Richard Horsley processing, Professor Horsley is survived by his wife day with flashbacks to ancient times. Also non- Jenny, two sons and three grandchildren. engaging as a travelogue, there is a sub- Newtonian flows and slurry system design, theme of deception and a romantic twist. The both in academe and in industry. He had • With thanks to Professor Moses Tade, Dean of work contains nearly 50 different illustrations an international reputation in the field of Engineering, Curtin University. including hieroglyphs, maps and plans. non-Newtonian fluid dynamics and mineral The sequel, The Code of the Apocalypse, processing. His work on a viscometer, which Martin Cole publishes is a mystery adventure inspired by scientific allowed the accurate determination of the second book and historical facts set in 2012. The work rheological properties of settling slurries, Dr Martin Cole FTSE, who has been a Fellow contains more than 80 different illustrations permitted the accurate determination of the for 20 years, has recently published his second and provides map references to the numerous effects of various additives on a laboratory novel – The Code of the Apocalypse – a sequel to locations visited so the action can be followed scale. This enabled him to pioneer the control his first, The Code of the Pharaoh. through satellite images on Google Earth. of slurry properties for the mining industry, In The Code of the Pharaoh, archaeologists Further details are available at so as to optimise the design of pipelines stumble upon an Egyptian hieroglyphic code www.imrac-books.com and the books are for carrying settling slurries as well as the that leads them around the world in a race available (RRP $24.95 printed and $9.95 performance of hydrocyclones. to decipher many more intriguing clues on e-book) from www.dymocks.com.au, Professor Horsley continued to be active their quest to find the lost secret of an ancient www.eabooks.com.au or in research despite his retirement. He had machine that could grant immortality. [email protected]. published more than 100 papers. He also had an active consultancy practice in the fields Martin Cole of slurry system design and as an expert in industrial and motor vehicle accidents. He obtained his Master of Engineering degree from Bristol University in 1970, and a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1974. He had a distinguished career with various organisations before joining RMIT as a Course Director from 1978–84. He joined WAIT in late 1984 as the Head of Graduate Research Training. www.unimelb.edu.au/research/

Join Australia’s Best Minds e University of Melbourne is seeking high calibre PhD students to contribute to projects at the forefront of international research. At the University of Melbourne, one of Australia’s leading research universities, you will become part of a dynamic research community, working alongside the best and brightest researchers in the country. Our generous scholarship programs provide students with  nancial support and opportunities for international  eldwork and travel. To  nd out more about undertaking a graduate research degree at Melbourne, visit: www.unimelb.edu.au/research/ ATSE Focus 175.indd 1 9/11/12 1:02 PM