Pittwater Online News

April 1st, 2015: Media Release

Regional Meetings

We are in the final stages of our regional meetings, with the Coral Sea Panel preparing for their visits in the coming week to Mooloolaba (7-8 April) and Brisbane (9-10 April).

We have now been to 12 locations around Australia covering the four regions (Temperate East, South-west, North-west and North) and held 7 multi-sector forums and approximately 140 smaller individual meetings.

We are finding a lot of common ground in our discussions. Many of those we have spoken to broadly accept the reserves network. That said we have encountered a number of issues and concerns that will need resolution. Discussions to date have been very constructive around these areas of concern and have provided good ideas and a range of options about how to address them.

We have heard and seen a genuine willingness from stakeholders to collaborate to find workable solutions.

As a result of our regional meetings, we have a clearer picture of the range of opportunities that should improve the environmental, social and development outcomes.

Feedback received

We have now passed the closing date for submissions and have been encouraged by the response that we have received from all the stakeholders.

In the four month submission period (between 28 November 2014 and 31 March 2015) we received over 13 000 written submissions and more than 1800 survey responses.

Next steps

As we complete all of the regional meetings our attention is shifting to evaluating the feedback from our meetings, written submissions and the online survey.

We have also made several references to the Expert Scientific Panel arising from issues raised in the regional consultations of the Bioregional Advisory Panels.

We anticipate further targeted meetings with stakeholders as we work on finding solutions to the concerns raised.

Please contact the Review Secretariat via email (cmrreview@environment.gov.au) if you have any questions or queries about consultation in your region.

Further information: For more information about the Commonwealth Marine Reserves Review and the Panels, please visit:www.marinereservesreview.gov.au

Prof. Colin Buxton  |  Mr Peter Cochrane

Co-Chairs of the Bioregional Advisory Panels

 Setting Australia’s post-2020 target for greenhouse gas emissions in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations

The Australian Government has committed to a review of emissions reduction targets in 2015. The review is part of Australia’s preparations for the UNFCCC Paris Conference in December 2015, where negotiations on a new global climate agreement will conclude.

The UNFCCC Taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has been established to coordinate the review.

The taskforce is working closely with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Industry and Science, the Environment and the Treasury. Further information on UNFCCC negotiations can be found at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. For information on action Australia is already taking on climate change, please see the Department of the Environment’s website.

Public Consultations on Australia’s Emissions Reduction Target

The Prime Minister, together with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the Environment, announced a public consultations process on Australia’s post-2020 emissions reduction target on 28 March 2015.

The Australian Government values the views of the Australian community. You are invited to submit your views on Australia’s post-2020 emissions reduction target.

Issues paper and fact sheet

To assist you in writing your submission, this issues paper  briefly outlines the context in which the Government is considering post-2020 emissions reduction targets for Australia.  Additional information about the UNFCCC preparations for a new global climate agreement  can be found in the accompanying fact sheet and links tobackground information. 

Information on how you can make a submission.  

Submissions open Saturday 28 March 2015 and close 3pm AEST Friday 24 April 2015.

 Conservation breakthrough in the Kimberley

31.3.2015

Last week, news emerged about a great conservation breakthrough in the Kimberley.

The news was hard to believe! Two of the world’s largest mining companies, Rio Tinto and Alcoa, had decided to hand back bauxite mining leases – which threatened the spectacular Mitchell Plateau. This enabled the Western Australian Government to proceed with plans to create Australia’s largest national park.

This was an extraordinary achievement that speaks to the power of people to stop economic self-interest from prevailing over the natural world.

Wilderness Society campaigners and members, together with other environmentalists and Traditional Owners, have campaigned since the 1980s to protect the Mitchell from bauxite mining. This is a great outcome of which we should all be proud.

Protecting the Mitchell Plateau

Published on Mar 25, 2015 by Wilderness Australia

Protected at last!

After decades of hard work, the Mitchell Plateau is on track to become part of Australia’s largest national park.

This region is home to some of our most iconic and breathtaking landscapes, including the stunning Mitchell falls, ancient rock art and a rich diversity of plants and animals. 

This decision was made possible by Rio Tinto and Alcoa handing back their mining licences to the WA Government.

 Good luck and the Chinese reverse global forest loss

March 30, 2015: University of New South Wales

Analysis of 20 years of satellite data has revealed the total amount of vegetation globally has increased by almost 4 billion tonnes of carbon since 2003. This is despite ongoing large-scale deforestation in the tropics.

An Australian-led international team of scientists published the findings in Nature Climate Change, finding a range of causes for the increase.

"The increase in vegetation primarily came from a lucky combination of environmental and economic factors and massive tree-planting projects in China," said Dr Yi Liu a lead author and remote sensing scientist from the Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science at the University of New South Wales.

"Vegetation increased on the savannas in Australia, Africa and South America as a result of increasing rainfall, while in Russia and former Soviet republics we have seen the regrowth of forests on abandoned farmland. China was the only country to intentionally increase its vegetation with tree planting projects."

At the same time massive vegetation loss is still occurring in many other regions. The greatest declines have been on the edge of the Amazon forests and in the Indonesian provinces of Sumatra and Kalimantan -- the Indonesian part of Borneo.

To get their results the team pioneered an entirely new technique to map changes in vegetation biomass over time, using satellite measurements of natural radio waves emitted from the Earth's surface.

"Previous analyses of vegetation biomass focused on forest cover change," said fellow lead author, Professor Albert van Dijk of The Australian National University.

"With our approach we found unexpectedly large vegetation increases in the savannas of southern Africa and northern Australia. The increase in Australia occurred despite ongoing land clearing, urbanization and big droughts across other parts of Australia."

The increased greening means the total amount of carbon captured in Australia's vegetation has increased.

The main cause of this strong growth over the savannas came from higher rainfall, particularly in recent years, although higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere may have helped plants there to grow more vigorously.

However the situation could rapidly reverse if the savannas were to experience extended dry periods, according to CSIRO's Dr Pep Canadell, a co-author of the study and director of the Global Carbon Project

"This study shows this capture of carbon is very sensitive to year-to-year changes in rainfall over savanna regions, both for Australia and for the global CO2 budget," Dr Canadell said

"It's important to recognize that global warming would be happening faster if some of our CO2 emissions were not captured by this vegetation growth."

But even with the good news of nature helping regulate Earth's climate, Dr Canadell said there was still only one way to reduce the impacts of global warming.

"We know about 50% of emissions from human activities stay in the atmosphere even after the other half is removed by terrestrial vegetation and oceans. The only way to stabilize the climate system is to reduce global fossil fuel emissions to zero."

1. Yi Y. Liu, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Richard A. M. de Jeu, Josep G. Canadell, Matthew F. McCabe, Jason P. Evans, Guojie Wang. Recent reversal in loss of global terrestrial biomass. Nature Climate Change, 2015; DOI:10.1038/nclimate2581

This image shows the greening of savannas in Australia, South America and Africa has helped reverse global forest loss. Credit: CSIRO Science Images; creative commons license

 Widespread agricultural contaminant impacts fish reproductive behavior

April 1, 2015 – A common growth-promoting hormone used worldwide in the cattle industry has been found to affect the sexual behaviors of fish at a very low concentration in waterways -- with potentially serious ecological and evolutionary consequences.Researchers from Monash University, Australia in collaboration with researchers from Åbo Akademi University in Finland, have found that the steroid 17β-trenbolone -- used on livestock to increase muscle growth -- alters male reproductive behavior in guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata).

This androgenic growth promoter is part of a group of contaminants called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that enter the environment through a variety of sources -- from discharge of household waste to agricultural run-off and industrial effluent.

Using trenbolone in livestock farming has been banned in the EU. However, in Denmark, researchers have measured high concentrations of it in gym sewage. Trenbolone is popular among bodybuilders. Trenbolone is used for example in the United States, Argentina and Australia.

One of the leading authors Dr Minna Saaristo, Academy of Finland Research Fellow in the Department of Biosciences at Åbo Akademi University, said over the past few decades concern has been mounting over EDCs, and that their contamination of aquatic habitats is a serious environmental problem.

"Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are cause for concern given their capacity to disturb the natural functioning of the endocrine (hormonal) system, often at very low concentrations, with potentially catastrophic effects.

Research until now has focussed primarily on the morphological and physiological effects of EDC exposure. For the first time, our research has shown that exposure to an environmentally realistic concentration of 17β-trenbolone -- just 22 nanograms per litre -- is sufficient to alter male reproductive behavior."

The research shows that exposure of guppy fish to 17β-trenbolone influences the ratio of male courtship (where the female chooses her mate) to forced copulatory behavior (sneaking), whereby the female is inseminated internally from behind and does not choose her mate. The results of her research indicated a marked increase in sneaking behavior.

"By influencing mating success, sexual selection can profoundly affect individual populations and species, with potentially devastating long term evolutionary and ecological impacts," Saaristo said.

With its widespread global distribution precipitated by numerous deliberate and accidental introductions, the small, live-bearing freshwater guppy fish, native to South America, was ideal for investigating the effects of 17β-trenbolone, especially as they are known to inhabit waterways receiving agricultural waste.

Saaristo said that by illustrating the capacity of the agricultural contaminant to alter reproductive behavior, the research demonstrated the possibility of widespread disruption of mating systems in wild populations.

The next step for the researchers will be to look at sperm viability in male guppy fish exposed to 17β-trenbolone.

The research was published in the journal Hormones and Behavior.

1. Michael G. Bertrama, Minna Saaristoa, John B. Baumgartnerc, Christopher P. Johnstonea, Mayumi Allinsond, Graeme Allinsond, Bob B.M. Wonga. Sex in troubled waters: Widespread agricultural contaminant disrupts reproductive behaviour in fish. Hormones and Behavior Behavior, Volume 70, April 2015, Pages 85%u201391

 Despite decades of deforestation, the Earth is getting greener

BY YI LIU; ALBERT VAN DIJK, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AND PEP CANADELL, CSIRO

MARCH 31, 2015

While the news coming out of forests is often dominated by deforestation and habitat loss, research published today in Nature Climate Change shows that the world has actually got greener over the past decade.

Observations from space have shown the world overall is getting greener despite deforestation and drought. Image: Carl Davies/CSIRO, CC BY-SA

Despite ongoing deforestation in South America and Southeast Asia, we found that the decline in these regions has been offset by recovering forests outside the tropics, and new growth in the drier savannas and shrublands of Africa and Australia.

Plants absorb around a quarter of the carbon dioxide that people release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. With a greening globe, more plants may mean more absorption of carbon dioxide. If so, this will slow but not stop climate change.

However, questions remain over how long plants can keep pace with our increasing emissions in a warmer climate.

Measuring carbon in plants

We studied how plants and vegetation are faring by determining the amount of carbon stored in living plant mass (or “biomass”) above the ground.

We developed a new technique to map changes in vegetation biomass using satellite measurements of changes in the radio-frequency radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface, a technique called passive microwave remote sensing. The radiation varies with temperature, soil moisture and the shielding of water in vegetation biomass above the ground.

We extracted this vegetation information from several satellites and merged them into one time series covering the last two decades. This allowed us to track global changes in biomass from month to month, something that was not possible before.

For the period 2003-12, we found that the total amount of vegetation above the ground has increased by about 4 billion tonnes of carbon.

Still losing rainforests, but gaining forests elsewhere

Our global analysis shows losses of vegetation in many regions, particularly at the frontiers of deforestation in the tropics of South America and Southeast Asia.

As expected, the greatest declines have been in the so-called “Arc of Deforestation” on the southeastern edge of the vast Amazon forests. In Southeast Asia we found the most widespread declines in the Indonesian provinces of Sumatra and Kalimantan – the Indonesian part of Borneo.

However, we found that these rainforest losses have been offset by increases in biomass in other parts of the world.

For example, forests have spontaneously regrown on farmland abandoned after the fall of communism in Russia and neighbouring countries, while large-scale tree planting projects in China have measurably added to the global biomass. This roughly offset half of the carbon loss by tropical deforestation.

We also found unexpectedly large vegetation increases in savannas and shrublands of Australia, Africa, and South America. Previous analyses have focused on closed forests and did not measure this increase.

Is Australia getting greener?

On average, Australia is “greener” today than it was two decades ago. This is despite ongoing land clearing, urbanisation and the recent droughts in some parts of the country.

However, the increase in vegetation has not been uniform. The largest increases are in northern Australia, with lesser increases in southern Australia and a small decrease in southeastern Australia.

Mean annual change in vegetation biomass between 1993 and 2012. Blue represents an increase; red a decrease. Image modified from Liu et al., 2015

These vegetation trends seem to be mainly explained by rainfall patterns: northern Australia has been getting wetter and southeast Australia dryer. This pattern is predicted to continue according to the most recent climate change projections from the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.

Australian vegetation growth generally responds strongly to rainfall variations. More variability and an apparently increasing frequency of extreme El Niño and La Niña events due to climate change would create stronger boom-bust cycles in Australia’s vegetation.

Apart from the effect of rainfall patterns, our study also agreed with other studies observing a gradual greening trend for the past two decades, even where there was no change or even a small decrease in rainfall.

This has been ascribed mainly to the increasing number of trees and shrubs growing on semi-arid grasslands. These plants are more efficient water users than other plants such as grasses. With the increased atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions, they are able to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere without using more water.

More vegetation will slow but not prevent climate change

The world’s vegetation plays an important role in slowing down climate change. About a quarter of all carbon emissions from human activities are removed by terrestrial vegetation, with the size of the carbon land sink increasing over time.

However, it remains to be seen how the increased climate variability that accompanies climate change will affect this terrestrial “carbon sink” in future. This is particularly true for seasonally dry ecosystems that experience fires, such as Australia’s savannas, where a single fire event can easily remove the carbon stored in plant biomass over many previous years. The future interaction between climate variability, vegetation and fire is difficult to predict and remains the focus of intense research.

Overall, our study provides more direct evidence of the global increase of vegetation growth and the terrestrial carbon sink than previous studies, with unprecedented geographical attribution and year-to-year changes.

With terrestrial vegetation removing about a quarter of the carbon emissions from human activities and the global oceans removing another quarter, this means that half of our CO2emissions remains in the atmosphere. Therefore, stabilising concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and the consequent impact on the climate system will still require large reductions of global fossil fuel emissions.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Paper: Recent reversal in loss of global terrestrial biomass

Yi Y. Liu, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Richard A. M. de Jeu, Josep G. Canadell, Matthew F. McCabe, Jason P. Evans & Guojie Wang. Nature Climate Change (2015) doi:10.1038/nclimate2581 -Received 12 May 2014  Accepted 27 January 2015  Published online 30 March 2015

 Polar bears unlikely to thrive on land-based foods

April 1, 2015 – A team of scientists led by the U.S. Geological Survey found that polar bears, increasingly forced on shore due to sea ice loss, may be eating terrestrial foods including berries, birds and eggs, but any nutritional gains are limited to a few individuals and likely cannot compensate for lost opportunities to consume their traditional, lipid-rich prey -- ice seals. "Although some polar bears may eat terrestrial foods, there is no evidence the behavior is widespread," said Dr. Karyn Rode, lead author of the study and scientist with the USGS. "In the regions where terrestrial feeding by polar bears has been documented, polar bear body condition and survival rates have declined."

The authors detail their findings in a review article inFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The scientists noted that over much of the polar bear's range, terrestrial habitats are already occupied by grizzly bears. Those grizzly bears occur at low densities and are some of the smallest of their species due to low food quality and availability. Further, they are a potential competitor as polar bears displaced from their sea ice habitats increasingly use the same land habitats as grizzly bears.

"The smaller size and low population density of grizzly bears in the Arctic provides a clear indication of the nutritional limitations of onshore habitats for supporting large bodied polar bears in meaningful numbers," said Rode. "Grizzly bears and polar bears are likely to increasingly interact and potentially compete for terrestrial resources."

The study found that fewer than 30 individual polar bears have been observed consuming bird eggs from any one population, which typically range from 900 to 2000 individuals. "There has been a fair bit of publicity about polar bears consuming bird eggs. However, this behavior is not yet common, and is unlikely to have population-level impacts on trends in body condition and survival," said Rode.

Few foods are as energetically dense as marine prey. Studies suggest that polar bears consume the highest lipid diet of any species, which provides all essential nutrients and is ideal for maximizing fat deposition and minimizing energetic requirements. Potential foods found in the terrestrial environment are dominated by high-protein, low-fat animals and vegetation. Polar bears are not physiologically suited to digest plants, and it would be difficult for them to ingest the volumes that would be required to support their large body size.

"The reports of terrestrial feeding by polar bears provide important insights into the ecology of bears on land," said Rode. "In this paper, we tried to put those observations into a broader context. Focused research will help us determine whether terrestrial foods could contribute to polar bear nutrition despite the physiological and nutritional limitations and the low availability of most terrestrial food resources. However, the evidence thus far suggests that increased consumption of terrestrial foods by polar bears is unlikely to offset declines in body condition and survival resulting from sea ice loss."

Karyn D Rode, Charles T Robbins, Lynne Nelson, Steven C Amstrup. Can polar bears use terrestrial foods to offset lost ice-based hunting opportunities?Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2015; 13 (3): 138 DOI: 10.1890/140202 

 Fights in the forest

Nature Video -  Published on 1 Apr 2015

in 2014, Nature reporter Jeff Tollefson travelled to the Brazil to report on the mass deforestation of the Amazon. This Nature Video tells the stories of the people he met along the way.

Read Jeff’s feature here: www.nature.com/news/1.17223

1 April 2015 - A world first study revealing the presence of two antibodies in a sub-group of children experiencing their first episode of psychosis affirms a longstanding recognition that auto-immune disorders play a significant role in psychiatric illness.

Antibodies defend the body against bacterial, viral, and other invaders but sometimes the body makes antibodies that attack healthy cells. In these cases, autoimmune disorders develop. These include conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes.

This 'immune hypothesis' is supported by new research in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry.

Researchers from the Kids Research Institute at the Children's Hospital, Westmead, and the University of Sydney detected antibodies to the dopamine D2 receptor or the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor among eight out of 43 children experiencing their first episode of psychosis, but no such antibodies in healthy children.

Both are key neural signaling proteins previously been implicated in psychosis.

"The antibodies we have detected in children having a first episode of acute psychosis suggest there is a distinct subgroup for whom autoimmunity plays a role in their illness," says the University of Sydney's Dr Fabienne Brilot, the senior author on the paper and Head of the Neuroimmunology Group at The Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney.

"The finding suggests that better interventions are possible, providing hope that major disability can be prevented for the subset of children experiencing acute psychosis with antibodies," Brilot adds.

Dopamine is a chemical messenger aiding the transmission of signals in the brain and other areas of the body. Regulating its actions plays a crucial role in mental and physical health.

Dopamine acts on receptors tailored specifically for it. The dopamine-2 receptor (D2R) is one of five subtypes of mammalian dopamine. Increasing knowledge of the roles of dopamine receptor subtypes raises the hope that more selective drugs will be developed.

Abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission play a key role in the pathogenesis of psychosis. Many drugs affect dopamine transmission directly by either blocking or stimulating its receptors.

Many antipsychotics show varying affinities for the different dopamine receptors but blockade of the dopamine-2 receptor (D2R) specifically has proved to be indispensable in the clinical management of psychosis.

While less well established than dopamine, it is also likely that glutamatergic dysfunction also plays a role in psychotic disease.

This suggests that specific pathologies and processes affecting D2R and the glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) could define biological subgroups and may be involved in the pathogenesis of psychosis and other psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia.

"There is a pressing need in psychiatry to establish biologically based disease subtypes, which might allow for more specific diagnosis and effective intervention," says Dr Brilot.

"Our findings contribute further understanding of the biology of psychiatric and neurological diseases and whether autoantibodies detected in a subgroup of patients can trigger psychiatric disorders.

"Further research will reveal whether these antibodies are the mark of a clinically relevant subset of patients and, if so, whether immunosuppressive therapies can effectively treat children with these debilitating illnesses."

 Google Maps for the Body

UNSWTV - Published on Mar 29, 2015

Subscribe now to UNSWTV: www.youtube.com/unsw

Using previously top secret technology, Prof Melissa Knothe Tate and her team at UNSW Biomedical Engineering are zooming in and out of the human body right down to single cells, just as you would with Google maps. Starting with the knee joint, the researchers can figure out how cells behave and impact on conditions like osteoarthritis.

UNSWTV is the official channel of UNSW Australia (the University of New South Wales), a powerhouse of cutting-edge research and teaching in the Asia-Pacific based in Sydney. Innovation, technology and creativity are at the heart of what we do. UNSW is recognised as the Australian university with the strongest links to industry and claims the largest proportion of alumni in top CEO positions. With more than 50,000 students from more than 120 countries, we also have one of the most diverse student populations.

For more information: www.unsw.edu.au

 'Ice it: ' Why the ubiquitous advice isn't healing your injury

March 30, 2015 - Applying ice to a muscle after injury is a commonly prescribed therapy for treating muscle bruises. But does it really speed recovery time and help the muscle to heal?

Researchers from the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland University of Technology in Australia investigated whether icing after a muscle impact injury contributed to new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and muscle regeneration.

The research team looked at two groups of rats with thigh contusions. One group received ice within five minutes of injury for 20 minutes. The second group received no ice. During the acute phase three days after injury, infiltration of inflammatory cells and the markers of angiogenesis -- vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) -- were lower in the icing group compared with the non-icing group.

During the early repair phase (seven days), inflammatory cell numbers were higher, while VEGF and vWF expression remained lower, in the icing group compared with the non-icing group. In the late repair phase (28 days), inflammatory cell numbers, VEGF expression and the number of regenerating muscle fibers were all greater in the icing group (causing less inflammation and swelling) compared with the non-icing group. Muscle fiber cross-sectional area was similar between the groups at seven and 28 days after injury.

Despite popular belief, inflammation can be an important process in tissue regeneration. The results suggest that ice may delay inflammation, angiogenesis and the formation of new muscle fibers during recovery from severe muscle injury. "These findings challenge the practice of using ice to treat muscle injuries," the research team wrote. Practitioners should therefore reconsider how they use treatments such as icing and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to manage acute soft tissue injuries.

The above story is based on materials provided by American Physiological Society (APS). 

 Donors' vision becomes reality: launch of STEM Academy for teachers

30 March 2015

L to R Dr Stuart McGill, Prof Trevor Hambley, Prof Diane Mayer, Ian MacFarlane MP, Prof Stephen Garton, Prof Archie Johnston, Prof Ian Chubb at the official launch.

The Federal Minister for Industry and Science has officially launched a teaching academy dedicated to excellence and innovation in the teaching of mathematics, science and technology.

Last night Professor Ian Chubb, the Chief Scientist, gave an official address at the opening of the STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy at the University of Sydney, the first of its kind in Australia.

STEM refers to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A recent Australian Industry Group report forecast STEM job demand — ranging from mining engineers to chemists, software programmers to agricultural scientists — to grow at almost twice the pace of other occupations.

"To meet this need we want to give teachers nationally from both metropolitan and regional schools the best possible support, resources and skills to encourage their students to participate in STEM as the first step in pursuing related careers," said Associate Professor Judy Anderson, acting director of the Academy, from the Faculty of Education and Social Work.

Australian Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane said STEM skills are central to building Australia's productivity.

"The Australian Government has put science at the centre of our industry policy because science and research are vital to boosting the economy and supporting quality of life improvements for all Australians," Mr Macfarlane said.

"We must inspire the next generation of scientists and ensure that our graduates have both the academic foundations and the best practical skills to succeed in business or industry."

The Academy is the brainchild of anonymous donors, who gave $5 million to make it possible. They were inspired to encourage young people to consider advanced STEM skills as vital to their future prospects.

"They had seen how in-service training of teachers overseas had been successful; they recognised a need in Australia, and knew we could make it work here too. They decided that the University of Sydney - with our tradition of excellence in training teachers - is just the place to do it and we are honoured to be able to realise their vision," said Dr Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sydney.

The Academy draws on expertise from three of the University's faculties.

The Faculty of Education and Social Work, provides outstanding expertise in teaching and learning; the Faculty of Science offers its experience and understanding of recent developments in science; the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies helps teachers incorporate real-world problem solving examples into their teaching.

"In collaboration with highly-experienced teachers and principals advising the Academy we are perfectly positioned to contribute to the future of STEM education," said Associate Professor Anderson.

The academy's flagship is a multi-day residential program for up to 60 teachers of year 7-10 mathematics, science and technology. The average high school teacher looks after approximately five classes, so the program has the potential to influence more than 80,000 students in its first five years.

The Academy also offers new teachers professional development and mentoring to become STEM ambassadors. In the USA, the NASA Pre-Service Teacher Institute has had outstanding success with this model.

All teachers participating in the Academy will also have ongoing access to an online centre providing events, advice and resources.

 NBN Launches New Fibre to the Basement Services

31 March 2015

NBN Co has today launched commercial fibre-to-the-basement (FTTB) products, following a pilot program showing superfast speeds can be delivered.

The technology allows the NBN Co to deploy superfast broadband sooner and at less cost to homes and business which are in apartment- or office-blocks.

Under the fibre-to-the-basement pilot, the NBN Co has achieved average speeds of 89 megabits per second download and 36 megabits per second upload.

That would allow a premises to stream around 18 high definition television streams concurrently.  They can also access other bandwidth intensive applications such as video conferencing and cloud computing.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the use of the technology would give NBN Co more flexibility in delivering superfast broadband as the company transitions to a Multi-Technology Mix rollout.

"NBN Co recommended to Labor that it should be allowed to deploy fibre-to-the-basement, because of the difficulties it experienced in connecting apartment blocks and office blocks when it was required to provide fibre going into every premise," he said.

"That advice was ignored.  And yet in nearly every market where there's a high penetration of fibre connections, such as in Japan and Korea, deploying fibre-to-the-basement is the norm".

NBN Co's 2014-17 Corporate Plan indicates that 1.4 million premises around Australia will be connected to the National Broadband Network via fibre-to-the-basement and fibre-to-the-distribution-point.

To date, NBN Co has to date passed 18 buildings with its fibre-to-the-basement architecture, and around 2,000 premises are now ready for service.

NBN Co is targeting around 90,000 homes and businesses to be ready for service by the end of the 2015 calendar year.

 Dementia and Alzheimer's disease now Australia's second leading cause of death

31 March 2015 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today released their 2013 report on causes of death in Australia. The report looks at the 147,678 deaths reported in 2013 and presents a full picture of mortality patterns across the Australian population.

"Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for almost 20,000 deaths in 2013," said James Eynstone-Hinkins from the ABS.

"However, deaths from Dementia and Alzheimer's disease have been increasing in number for many years, and now outrank Cerebrovascular diseases as the second leading cause of death of Australians.

"There were 11,000 deaths from Dementia and Alzheimer's in 2013, an increase of over five per cent in the past year and over 30 percent in the past five years.

"Advancements in treatment of circulatory diseases have decreased the number of deaths from these conditions. As life expectancy increases (now at 80.1 years for males and 84.3 years for females) it is likely the number of deaths from dementia will continue to grow. 

"These large scale shifts in patterns of mortality provide critical insights into the multitude of factors which impact on the health of Australians.

"Cancer deaths have also outnumbered deaths from circulatory diseases for the first time in 2013.

"There were over 8,000 Australians who died from lung cancer in 2013, a 13 per cent increase since 2004. Colon cancer, blood cancers, prostate, breast, pancreatic and skin cancers were all among Australia's 20 leading causes of death."

The report found there were more male deaths than female deaths in 2013 (75,782 and 71,896 respectively) and some key differences in leading causes. 

"There were 4,995 male deaths from lung cancer, making this the second leading cause for men." said Mr Eynstone-Hinkins 

"Among females, lung cancer caused 3,222 deaths making it the fifth leading cause. Dementia and Alzheimer's was the second leading cause for females accounting for 7,277 deaths, compared to only 3,656 deaths among males.

"Prostate cancer was the underlying cause of 3,112 male deaths, while breast cancer caused 2,862 female deaths, with both ranked as the sixth leading cause respectively.“

Suicide was once again the leading cause of death for Australian's aged 15 to 44. Suicide accounted for 2,520 deaths in 2013 at a standardised death rate of 10.7 per 100,000 people. The median age at death for suicides is lower than for many other causes at 44.5 years of age. As a result, suicide accounted for over 85,000 years of life lost making it the leading cause of premature death in Australia.

Comprehensive data and analysis can be found in Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0), available for free download from the ABS website

 New employment services announced

Tuesday 31 March 2015 Joint Media Release: Senator the Hon Eric Abetz, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Employment, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service, Senator for Tasmania, The Hon Luke Hartsuyker MP, Assistant Minister for Employment

The Australian Government today announced the organisations selected to be part of its new employment services system, to be known as jobactive.

From 1 July 2015, there will be 66 organisations delivering one or more jobactive services to job seekers and employers across Australia.

Minister for Employment Senator Eric Abetz said the Government is investing $5 billion over three years to replace Labor’s failed Job Services Australia system and improve the quality of services delivered.

“The Coalition Government introduced the contracted model of employment services in 1998, as it provides better value for taxpayers’ money and ensures job seekers have access to the services they need right around the country,” Senator Abetz said.

“Unfortunately, under Labor the employment services system was changed to reward process over results, training for training’s sake and had become mired in red tape.

“This has let down job seekers and employers, and reduced public confidence in employment services.

“Last year the Government reduced the red-tape burden and commenced a formal tender process to strengthen and reinvigorate employment services after years of Labor’s neglect.

“From 1 July 2015, the Coalition’s new jobactive system will provide clearer incentives to ensure employment service providers are focused on better preparing job seekers to meet the needs of local employers and helping people to find and keep a job.”

The new model will provide outcome payments at four, 12 and 26 weeks to ensure job seekers are supported to take up all work opportunities, including seasonal work.

“Real jobs – albeit of a short duration – provide a break from welfare, as well as assist job seekers into more permanent positions,” Senator Abetz said.

“Data tells us quite clearly that those that have undertaken a few short-term employment opportunities are substantially more likely to gain permanent positions.

“The new model includes wage subsidies to support the employment of young job seekers, Indigenous job seekers, the long-term unemployed, the Restart subsidy for older workers, as well as the Government’s Relocation Assistance, which is helping people move to take up a job.

“Work for the Dole will be rolled out nationally to help job seekers to learn new skills and remain socially active and engaged while looking for work. Work for the Dole allows job seekers to show that they are keen and willing to work while also giving something back to the community that is supporting them.

“The new jobactive system will ensure that job seekers receive the practical help they need to move from welfare to work, and that employers are being sent candidates that have the skills and attitudes that meet their business needs.

“Minister Hartsuyker is to be commended for personally undertaking this substantial reform.”

Assistant Minister for Employment Luke Hartsuyker said there had been strong interest in the Government’s new employment services model and 184 organisations had submitted a tender.

The competitive tender process was conducted by the Department of Employment in accordance with the Government’s procurement rules and signed off by an external probity adviser.

“The 66 organisations that have been offered contracts were selected on the basis of their capacity to deliver services that will meet the needs of local job seekers and employers, their past performance in service delivery, the strength of their management teams and their governance structures,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“The Government was conscious of the need to move the employment services sector to a more competitive and sustainable basis, while at the same time ensuring an appropriate mix of organisations on the ground.

“An important change is that we are offering five-year contracts instead the current three years, which will give more certainty for all concerned.

“I am delighted to see that there will be a strong mix of for-profit and not-for-profit organisations delivering services to job seekers and employers.

“New partnerships and sub-contracting arrangements have been formed, allowing organisations to pool resources and expertise to best meet the needs of local job seekers and employers.

“Organisations have also proposed a number of innovations to assist job seekers and employers, such as the greater use of technology, extended opening hours, dedicated points of contact for employers, and specialist staff to meet the needs of Indigenous job seekers, youth and people with a disability.

“I congratulate those organisations that have demonstrated they have the skills, capacity and determination to achieve results in the new jobactive system.”

The Department of Employment today offered contracts to 66 organisations to deliver one or more jobactive services in 51 new Employment Regions:

• 44 organisations have been offered contracts to deliver employment services to help people find and keep a job;

• 19 organisations have been offered contracts to deliver Work for the Dole Coordinator services to identify activities and places in local communities;

• 21 organisations have been offered contracts to deliver the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme to help job seekers start their own business; and

• five organisations have been offered contracts to deliver the Harvest Labour Services and one organisation the National Harvest Labour Information Service to connect job seekers to harvest work opportunities.

A full list of the organisations selected to deliver jobactive services is available at the Employment Services procurement websitewww.employment.gov.au/employment-services-procurement-information

In coming months, job seekers will receive advice on which organisation will assist them with their job search after 1 July 2015.

In the meantime, job seekers should continue to work with their existing Job Services Australia provider.

Job Services Australia staff who may be affected by the change are able to register their details on the Employment Services Industry Jobs Board at www.jobsearch.gov.au/esijobs/

Likewise, successful organisations that have a need for staff may record details of job opportunities on the site.

Further information on jobactive is available at the Employment Services website employment.gov.au/jobactive, via the Department of Employment’s employment services purchasing hotlineespurchasing@employment.gov.au or on 1300 733 514

 Component of red grapes, wine could help ease depression

March 30, 2015 - Scientists have recently discovered a link between inflammation and depression, which affects approximately 148 million people in the United States. A new study finds that resveratrol -- a natural anti-inflammatory agent found in the skin of red grapes -- can prevent inflammation as well as depression-related behaviors in rodents exposed to a social stress.

"Our research is very relevant to today's society because it investigates potential treatments for people with an increased susceptibility to depression and related disorders that arise due to social stress," said Susan K. Wood, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and leader of the research team. "We hope our findings will encourage scientists who are running clinical trials to test the effectiveness of natural anti-inflammatory agents on depression, which is currently an understudied area."

Some psychiatric disorders are known to arise from a social stress, such as bullying or the loss of a loved one. In previous research, Wood's team developed an animal model for this type of social stress in which a larger, more aggressive rat takes on the role of a bully. Some rats exposed to the bullies developed both depressive-like behaviors and inflammation while the rats that did not develop depressive-like behaviors showed no inflammation.

In the new work, the researchers repeated their experiment with one key difference: the bullied rats were given a daily dose of resveratrol roughly equivalent to the amount found in six glasses of wine. They found that resveratrol blocked the increased inflammation in the brain and also prevented the depressive-like behaviors in animals that would have normally developed those behaviors.

"Resveratrol appears to knock down inflammation throughout the body," said Julie Finnell, a doctoral student in the research team who will present the findings at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Annual Meeting during Experimental Biology 2015. "We found that administering resveratrol blocks the inflammation we would normally see in animals undergoing the bullying stress and brings it to control levels. We saw that consistently with IL-1ß [a pro-inflammatory protein] and many of the other inflammatory markers that we analyzed."

In addition to being naturally present in the skin of red grapes and in red wine, resveratrol is also sold as supplement. Studies have shown that the natural agent might be responsible for red wine's ability to prevent blood vessel damage and reduce LDL cholesterol, and experiments using high doses of resveratrol in animals have suggested it might help protect from obesity and diabetes.

Wood said the group's findings are exciting because they show that resveratrol has anti-inflammatory potential in the brain, not just on levels of inflammation circulating in the body. "Certainly, there is a strong case being built now between clinical and preclinical work that inflammation is linked to depressive symptoms, and there is a great need for these findings to be validated in human studies," she said.

The researchers are now expanding upon their rodent experiments to test whether resveratrol can reverse the effects of social stress after they develop.

The above story is based on materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). 

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