Home > Regional News

20 Oct 2009
The preparatory work is under way for the start of construction of two projects at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst worth more than $9 million. The extensive refurbishment of the University’s corporate headquarters, The Grange, has commenced, along with development of the new Dental and Oral Health Clinic which is a feature of the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences. The Director of Planning, Design and Construction at the CSU Division of Facilities Management, Mr Richard Barraclough, said these projects are part of the University’s extensive multi-million dollar 2007-2011 capital works program. “Work at The Grange is valued at $3.2 million, including furniture and equipment, and is expected to be completed by April 2010. The Dental and Oral Health Clinic is valued at $6.16 million including furniture, fittings, dental chairs and instrumentation, and is due for completion by May 2010. Both projects are being undertaken by Joss Constructions,” Mr Barraclough said.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
The International Centre for Water for Food Security (IC Water) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host a seminar by the head of Murrumbidgee Irrigation this week as part of its mission to work closely with key stakeholders to find solutions to national and international water problems. Murrumbidgee Irrigation Managing Director, Mr Brett Tucker, will present Murrumbidgee Irrigation's take on the current water situation in Australia: Reinventing century old schemes at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 21 October. Mr Tucker said there’s little doubt that the face of irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin has changed with the prolonged drought, combined with changes to climate patterns, leading to unprecedented low water availability. “In this environment the key challenges for Murrumbidgee Irrigation include the integrated management of water and energy, and developing effective strategies for mitigating diversification and investment risk,” he said. IC Water is leading a SAM-ET project, funded by National Water Commission, in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to map out actual water, soil moisture and land use and land cover classification using high spatial resolution satellite imagery.

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: The International Centre of Water for Food Security at CSU holds monthly seminars with national and international water experts invited to discuss the emerging issues and policies dealing with sustainable management of water resources for food security. Mr Brett Tucker, Managing Director of Murrumbidgee Irrigation, will speak in the conference room at the Wine & Food Industry Training Centre, McKeown Drive, CSU at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 21 October from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
Sports science lecturers at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Human Movement Studies will return to Indonesia on Wednesday 28 October to continue providing intensive assistance to that nation’s elite athletes in the lead-up to the South-East Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos, in December 2009. Lecturers Dr Stephen Bird, Dr Rob Duffield and Mr Benjamin Barrington-Higgs have three tasks to manage on this visit as part of the Sports Science Division for the Indonesian Elite Athlete High Performance Program (Program Atlet Andalan – PAL). “Firstly, we will be very involved in the final preparation training for Indonesian elite athletes, the performance optimisation phase, before the start of the South-East Asian Games,” Dr Bird said. “We will also deliver an intensive four-day elite sports coaching short course for Indonesian coaches and academics. Our third task is to conduct the first applied sports research with elite boxers in Indonesia.”

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Stephen Bird or Mr Ben Barrington-Higgs. The South-East Asian Games will be staged in Vientiane, Laos, from 9-18 December 2009. The School of Human Movement Studies had previously secured contracts to provide strength and conditioning and sports science services for Indonesian elite athletes, and, with the State Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs in Indonesia, to assist athletes in a range of sports and to provide education programs for the coaches of elite athletes. Ten Indonesian national sports coaches visited CSU at Bathurst in December 2008 to undertake intensive training for an Advanced Certificate in Sport Conditioning.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has received a top honour for his services as a leading advocate for heritage and community history in regional NSW. Associate Professor Bruce Pennay, an adjunct academic with the University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society [link] based at Thurgoona, has been awarded the Annual History Citation by the History Council of NSW, the peak body for historians in the State. The citation particularly applauded Professor Pennay’s “research, explanation and promotion of the migrant experience in the post-war years”, especially at the Bonegilla Reception and Training Centre near Albury-Wodonga. This year, Professor Pennay also received a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to the Albury-Wodonga community.

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: For interviews with Associate Professor Bruce Pennay, contact CSU Media.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
A special presentation during a Leeton High School assembly on Tuesday 27 October will honour Year 11 student Mr Micheil Smith for his selection for Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Gifted and Talented program run by the CSU Faculty of Business. The Gifted and Talented program gives high school students an opportunity to study a university subject. Attending the assembly in Leeton will be Associate Professor John Louis and Mr Anthony Chan from the University’s Faculty of Business, and Ms Roxanne Locke, Manager of the Division of Student Administration at CSU. Mr Smith is studying the subject Introduction to Data Communications through CSU at Wagga Wagga.

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: The presentation to Year 11 student Mr Micheil Smith will take place from 11am on Tuesday 27 October at Leeton High School, corner of Myrtle and Mallee Streets, Leeton.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
A public forum to be held in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 28 October will explore the benefits of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in schools and the relevance of Certificate I and II qualifications in the workforce. VET provides an opportunity for high school students to commence industry qualifications while still at school, and provides an important link between the school-based qualification and employment. A panel, including representatives from the School of Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, will provide an insight into research and teaching in the area. They will also examine whether VET qualifications have made the transition from school to work smoother for students. “VET in schools provides a pathway from school to work that allows students to focus their study on a specific vocation quite early in their education,” said Mr Paul Galloway from the School of Education.  “It is interesting to note that VET in schools can also develop a strong study philosophy, and many students continue on to tertiary study.”

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note:
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
A special scholarship will be offered by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 2010 in memory of the late acting graduate from Wagga Wagga, Ms Ann Gwynn-Jones. The scholarship will be awarded to a new student in the Bachelor of Arts (Acting for Screen and Stage) degree next year. Ms Gwynn-Jones graduated from the same course in 2001 but died a short time later. The Charles Sturt Foundation has joined with the School of Visual and Performing Arts at CSU at Wagga Wagga to assist her family in raising funds to provide a perpetual scholarship. In aid of this, the School’s University Theatre Ensemble will present a performance of Gormenghast, a novel by Mervyn Peake. The performance on Saturday 31 October in the Riverina Playhouse will be directed by Mr John Saunders.

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note:
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
New students enrolled in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario, Canada, are using the social networking system Twitter and email to communicate with their lecturer, Ms Jenni Munday. "As educators, we are constantly looking for new ways to create a sense of community for students who study by distance education. Using Twitter is a good way to create this community," says Ms Munday, who is based in Albury-Wodonga, Australia, at the CSU Murray School of Education. Each student joins Twitter and chooses to 'follow' the lecturer and all the other students, so everyone benefits from reading the tweets from each member of the group. “Students can ask each other questions and they receive feedback when devising their research questions for an upcoming assessment presentation. It is a more immediate way to study from afar,” Ms Munday concludes.

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: For interviews with and pictures of Ms Munday, contact CSU Media.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
Ants in the kitchen, ants on fence posts – are these sign that rain is imminent? “No”, says Australian ant researcher and Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student, Mr Wayne Robinson. “I hear these stories regularly, but it has never been scientifically proven that ants can predict rain. It has been seen, however, that some ant species react to other environmental cues, such as increasing day length or higher temperatures, and build up the entrances to their nests or move fertile male and queen ants to higher ground at the start of ‘normal’ rainy seasons. Ants don’t know it is going to rain; like our farmers, they are just hoping it will be a normal season.” Mr Robinson, who lectures in environmental science in Queensland, is currently at CSU at Albury-Wodonga to further his PhD studies of ants on Fraser Island off central Queensland. But Mr Robinson says he is still keeping an open mind on the subject. “As with any scientific research, the answer can be changed with new evidence.”

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: For interviews with Mr Wayne Robinson, contact CSU Media. Mr Robinson is a researcher with the CSU Institute for Land, Water and Society.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
A close encounter with lions on a trip to South Africa has given a Charles Sturt University (CSU) veterinary science student a taste for adventure. Fifth-year student Mr James Chadwick travelled to South Africa in September to attend the International Symposium on Wildlife Utilisation, which focuses on veterinary involvement in wildlife management. “The trip opened my eyes to the possibility of working with wild animals in southern Africa, a completely different world of veterinary work that I never knew existed,” said Mr Chadwick. “The highlight of the trip was assisting a veterinarian doing health checks at Lions Rock Sanctuary, which required sedating lions. While transporting the lions from the clinic to their rangelands, on the back of a ute, we noticed the sedative was wearing off and they started to twitch and growl, which was scary, but fun!” The CSU student is keen to return to South Africa to participate in further hands-on experiences and to learn new skills.

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: To arrange interviews contact CSU Media. CSU student Mr James Chadwick is studying veterinary science through the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga.
Print this story

20 Oct 2009
Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst staged a ‘Global Dinner’ on Tuesday 13 October which raised $1 600 for charity. One of the organisers, Ms Georgia Gilson, a third-year journalism student and a residential advisor at ‘The Diggings’ student accommodation, said the charity event was part of Diggings Week, and the first of its kind to be held on the Bathurst Campus. “More than 150 students attended,” Ms Gilson said. “We divided the room into 19 national tables consisting of first, second and third world countries, and we treated these tables accordingly throughout the night. All residential advisors from the various accommodation complexes on the Bathurst Campus volunteered to help on the night as ‘United Nations representatives’. It is rare for all the residences to work together for the greater good, and to raise awareness among students about life outside our privileged sphere.”

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) research and teaching links with Pakistan will be highlighted when the High Commissioner of Pakistan visits Wagga Wagga on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October. CSU has forged strong relationships with Pakistan in the areas of animal and veterinary sciences and water. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Jalil Abbas Jilani, will meet the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Sue Thomas. The senior diplomat will also meet CSU researchers from the University’s International Centre of Water for Food Security (IC WATER) and the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation. He will tour the campus including the Veterinary Clinical Centre, and visit Coleambally in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA).

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: The High Commissioner of Pakistan will visit Coleambally on Thursday 15 October. On Friday 16 October, His Excellency will hear presentations at CSU at Wagga Wagga on research by IC WATER into water irrigation efficiencies in the MIA and a Pakistan-based dairy production project led by CSU’s Professor Peter Wynn. Read more here. The Higher Commissioner will also hear about international study opportunities for students offered through CSU Global. He is due to depart CSU at 1.45pm on Friday 16 October. For interviews, contact CSU Media.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
A team of 140 Charles Sturt University (CSU) students in 15 teams in 13 different sports competed against 7 000 students from 40 other Australian and New Zealand universities at Australia’s largest annual sporting event, the 2009 Australian University Games held at the Gold Coast, Queensland, from 27 September to 2 October. CSU’s lawn bowls team of Mr Andrew Banasik and Mr Adam Parker (pairs) and Mr Jay Mathieson (singles) won the gold medal, while the CSU Bluebottles men’s water polo team won a silver medal, and the CSU men’s touch football team, which was down on numbers, won the bronze medal. CSU team manager, Mr Nik Granger, said it was a great week of competition where all CSU students participated in the right spirit. “This did not go unnoticed, and CSU was the unofficial runner-up for the ‘Spirit of the Games’ award. This is testament to the great nature of CSU students, who, year-in year-out, are known for their sportsmanship and good behaviour.” For each sport, a paper-based Green and Gold Merit team is chosen of people who have stood out to selectors during the week. CSU had six team members selected in their respective Green and Gold teams; Ms Chiara Porter (basketball), Mr Shane Conroy (hockey), and Mr Adam Parker (lawn bowls) and Ms Eliza Baddock, Mr Sam Thompson and Mr Brendan Collits (all in touch football).

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The 2010 Australian University Games will be staged in Perth, Western Australia.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
Seven Charles Sturt University (CSU) campuses will become rivals on Wednesday 14 October as they compete in a campus challenge as part of National Ride to Work Day. “There are a large number of staff on each campus who are regular and keen bicycle riders, but this is our way of encouraging other staff at Charles Sturt University to give it a go,” said Mr David Tallentire, CSU Manager of Occupational Health and Safety and the campus challenge organiser. “The establishment of CSU Green in 2008 highlighted a commitment to cooperate with communities towards sustainability, and by taking part in the National Ride to Work Day, CSU staff are supporting this commitment.” Twenty-four cyclists have registered for the ride at CSU at Wagga Wagga. Ride to Work is a behaviour change program that encourages workers to feel good and have fun by commuting to work by bicycle and experiencing the health, financial and environmental benefits of cycling.

Media Officer	: Holly-Amber Manning
Telephone	: 02 6365 7813

Media Note:
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
With several species of blowfly developing a resistance to numerous classes of insecticides, local sheep breeders are to learn how to contain flystrike in their flock when they attend a free flystrike prevention workshop at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Orange this Friday 16 October. Run by the NSW  Department of Industry and Investment, the hands-on workshop is for commercial sheep producers who wish to maintain their skills and knowledge to prevent flystrike. Dr Shevahn Telfser from CSU’s School of Agriculture and Wine Science says, “Sheep producers who attend the workshop will walk away with key tools to help reduce the incidence of flystrike in their flock, and, if a fly wave strikes, how to deal with it swiftly and effectively.” For more information contact Ms Jane Mason, Orange Agricultural Institute on 6391 3967.

Media Officer	: Holly-Amber Manning
Telephone	: 02 6365 7813

Media Note: For interviews and more information contact CSU Media. The workshop will run from 1-5pm on Friday 16 October.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
It was smiles all-around when five Charles Sturt University (CSU) students and five local TAFE students received scholarships from the V8 Supercars organisation to assist with their studies. The scholarships, with a total value of $23 000, were presented at a ceremony at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathurst on Thursday 8 October in the lead-up to the annual ‘Great Race’ at Mount Panorama. Four students from the CSU School of Communication - Ms Kate Prince, Ms Melissa Gompes, Mr Thomas Lowrey, and Mr Joshua Manning - and one from the CSU School of Nursing, Ms Clare Pithers, received scholarships. They were congratulated by the Mayor of Bathurst, Councillor Paul Toole, Chief Operations Officer with V8 Supercars, Mr Shane Howard, CSU Head of Campus at Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, and by Associate Professor Rod McCulloch, Head of the CSU School of Communication at Bathurst. Journalism student Ms Melissa Gompes received The Peter Brock Memorial Scholarship in association with V8 Supercars and Bathurst Regional Council. Ms Gompes gave the vote of thanks on behalf of all students, stressing how much the financial assistance was appreciated. During proceedings it was noted that several of the TAFE students who received scholarships intend to study at CSU in 2010.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
The town of Temora will host a free public lecture on Wednesday 21 October by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) internationally renowned wetland ecologist, Adjunct Professor David Mitchell, who will discuss recent developments in the management of water in Australian landscapes. Professor Mitchell is from the CSU School of Environmental Sciences at Albury-Wodonga and is Principal Researcher in the University’s Institute of Land, Water and Society. He will review whether it is possible to manage surface waters in southern Australia using methods that mimic the natural processes of water storage and distribution. Professor Mitchell says, “Natural storage of water in the soil profile and in vegetation used to form a protective mantle over the surface. This has been largely replaced by surface water storage from which it readily evaporates, especially during droughts.”. While the latter approach supplies water for agricultural and urban demands, Professor Mitchell will question whether Australia is too reliant on this method of water storage. The CSU academic will also examine the ‘Natural Sequence Farming’ approach founded by Mr Peter Andrews.

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: Adjunct Professor David Mitchell is available for interview. CSU wines and cheeses will be served after the lecture at 6pm on Wednesday 21 October in the Temora Town Hall, corner of Deboos and Loftus Streets, Temora. RSVP to Ms Anne Rands on 02 6980 1100 or send an email. arands@temora.nsw.gov.au In 2003, Professor Mitchell became an International Fellow of the Society of Wetland Scientists for ‘a lifetime of contributions to wetland science and management’. Read more here. In 2004, CSU named wetlands at its Thurgoona site the David Mitchell Wetlands in recognition of his excellence in, and commitment to, his field.
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Parkes Shire Council will host a free public lecture on Wednesday 21 October at Parkes to examine the difficult questions surrounding the provision of health care services in rural and remote areas. ‘What Health Services Should Rural Australia Have?’ will be presented by the University’s Professor of Rural and Remote Pharmacy, Professor Patrick Ball, from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga . Professor Ball will present his findings from a study of health care services in two similar rural communities in NSW. “Our research provides evidence that what is required is more flexibility in allowing communities to develop approaches that meet their individual needs, based more upon access to services, rather than necessarily their physical presence,” said Professor Ball. Read more about Professor Ball’s research here.

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: Professor Patrick Ball is available for interviews from Wednesday 7 October. The free public lecture will be held at 6pm on Wednesday 21 October in The Coventry Room, Parkes Shire Council, Bogan Street, Parkes. CSU wines and cheeses will be served after the lecture. To RSVP contact Ms Tracy Ellery on 02 6863 8860 or send an email tracy.ellery@parkes.nsw.gov.au
Print this story

13 Oct 2009
Living sustainably through kitchen gardens in schools and in the wider community is the focus of the 2009 Education for Sustainability Conference to be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Friday 30 October, with a second optional day on Saturday 31 October. The conference is being staged in conjunction with the Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN), and will examine growing food as a way of addressing sustainability issues through school curricula and the development of practical skills. One of the conference organisers, Ms Jan Page, from the CSU School of Teacher Education at Bathurst, said, “With food being the largest component of many individuals’ ecological footprints, growing food not only addresses health issues but also provides a framework to develop knowledge and skills for individuals to reduce their footprint by living more sustainably.” As well as educators from pre-school to tertiary level, members of the Bathurst region community are invited to attend.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Ms Jan Page. The 2009 Education for Sustainability: connecting classrooms and communities conference will be held at CSU at Bathurst on 30 October in the James Hardie Room at the Centre for Professional Development (building S17). Anyone interested in attending should contact Ms Jan Page on 6338 4367 or email jpage@csu.edu.au . The conference presentations will include a keynote address by Ms Ange Barry, CEO of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, Ms Rachel Conolan, a parent with children at South Bathurst Public School, speaking about the school’s community garden, and Mr David Menzies, assistant principal at Glenroi Heights Public School in Orange, speaking about worm farms and the school’s vegetable garden.
Print this story