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ALBURY-WODONGA
Home > Regional News > Albury-Wodonga
New collaboration to research groundwater
17 Feb 2009
 A leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic will lead a team of researchers contributing to the recently announced five-year, $30 million Australian Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. Professor Allan Curtis, a social researcher with the CSU Institute for Land, Water and Society is well known for his work in natural resource management and rural communities in South Eastern Australia. Professor Curtis says the project aims to improve Australia’s capacity to better manage ground water resources which are threatened by over-extraction and pollution. “While the Centre will examine issues around the sustainable harvesting of groundwater resources, including the interactions between surface and groundwater, there is an important contribution for social research in terms of engaging groundwater users in developing practices that make more effective use of groundwater; and developing innovative arrangements that lead to more sustainable use of groundwater,” he said. The new centre is a partnership of 20 organisations including the Australian Research Council and the National Water Commission, CSIRO and 12 universities. Professor Curtis, along with other CSU researchers including Dr Digby Race and Dr Maureen Rogers, will work to identify projects to be funded over the next six months.
Media Note: Allan Curtis is Professor of Integrated Environmental Management and Head of Campus, Albury Wodonga. Professor Curtis is available for interview. Photos are also available. Contact CSU Media. Print this story The perennial possibilities of wheat
17 Feb 2009
 The opportunities in Australia for growing perennial wheat are being investigated by Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student Ms Nicole Hyde. As part of a Cooperative Research Centre for Future Farm Industries project, Ms Hyde late last year began to investigate several key questions: Can perennial wheat regrow in following seasons? Can perennial wheat survive our hot, dry summers? How does perennial wheat survive and regrow? “Perennial wheat is being developed in the USA, Russia, China, Argentina and now Australia, by crossing annual bread wheat with various perennial grasses,” said Ms Hyde. “The result should be a perennial grain crop that has the potential to offer significant benefits in Australian farming systems, including improved soil structure, reduced dry land salinity problems, and the provision of feed for grazing during the critical break-of-season period. However perennial wheat has never before been grown in Australia, so we do not yet know if these benefits will actually be delivered.” Ms Hyde hopes to complete her PhD by late 2011.
Media Note: PhD student Ms Nicole Hyde will deliver a seminar, ‘Opportunities for perennial wheat in Australia’, from 3pm on Thursday 19 February in the conference room, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Pugsley Place off Pine Gully Road. Ms Hyde is a member of the E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an initiative of CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Print this story Digging deep for a national tragedy
13 Feb 2009
 Ahead of the official start of the academic year on Monday 23 February, students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) have raised almost $3 000 for the Victorian bushfire appeal. Ninety Residential Student Advisors from CSU at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga collected $2 883.70 for the Australian Red Cross appeal during training at the University this week. The money was raised when a ransom was paid by the student leaders for the return of props used during the training. The Residential Student Advisors were undertaking training as part of CSU’s Residential Support Scheme. “This initiative is a credit to these students from across CSU’s campuses. It exemplifies the widespread commitment to assisting Victorians after the great loss of life and property,” said Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Lyn Gorman. Meanwhile, the Dean of the Faculty of Business, Professor John Hicks, has agreed to contribute $1 to the Red Cross appeal for every dollar donated by a Faculty of Business student up to $1 000. As other individual and group staff and student fundraising efforts get underway, the University cashiers’ offices on each campus are now donation points for the Australian Red Cross appeal. CSU is also offering its support to students affected by the Victorian bushfires. See here.
Print this story Back to the future for Orientation 2009: Albury-Wodonga
12 Feb 2009
Celebrating Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) 20th anniversary is the theme of Orientation 2009, which commences at CSU on Monday 16 February. The week of academic and social activities and events aims to prepare over 500 new CSU students for university life at Albury-Wodonga. Under the direction of the University’s Division of Student Services, Orientation student leaders, led by two coordinators, have been fine tuning the program. The coordinators and leaders will be on hand to assist the new students through their transition into higher education. New students, including those living on and off campus, can participate in campus and library tours, attend compulsory academic information sessions, complete online enrolment and attend a range of social activities. The Head of the Albury-Wodonga Campus, Professor Allan Curtis, will address the new students and their families at special ceremonies to mark the start of the academic year, starting at 9.30am on Tuesday 17 February in CD Blake Lecture Theatre, CSU, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.
Media Note: Details of the Orientation 2009 program can be found here. Orientation student coordinators are available for interview as is Mr Leigh Elliot with the CSU Division of Student Services. Contact CSU Media. Other events that might be of interest to the media include:
Print this story Natural disasters postpone Timor-Leste President's CSU visit
09 Feb 2009
The planned State visit to Australia and to Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Saturday 14 February by His Excellency the President of Timor-Leste, Dr José Ramos-Horta, has been postponed due to the ongoing natural disasters in Australia, including the devastating bushfires in Victoria. The Acting Vice-Chancellor of CSU, Professor Lyn Gorman, said that the University has been advised by representatives of the President that, after consultation with the Office of the Governor-General of Australia, the visit will be postponed to a mutually convenient time later this year. Professor Gorman said, “We fully understand the position of the President and thank him for his wishes for the victims of the Victorian bushfires. We thank the President for his commitment to reschedule his visit later in the year and look forward to welcoming him at that time. Given that this visit was to be the inaugural event of CSU’s 20th anniversary year, the celebrations will now begin with the Official Opening Ceremony at CSU at Wagga Wagga on Thursday 12 March.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Professor Lyn Gorman. CSU will host a range of celebratory events throughout 2009 at its campuses, including the Official 20th Anniversary Opening Ceremony at CSU at Wagga Wagga on Thursday 12 March; the 20th Anniversary Commemoration Dinner at CSU at Bathurst on Tuesday 2 June; the opening of new facilities; a book launch; and other commemorative presentations. Print this story A flock of dodos flies into Albury
09 Feb 2009
 As part of its celebrations of the ‘father of evolution’ Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host a film presentation and discussion, particularly for Years 10 to 12 high school students and their teachers, to explore the theory of evolution. Participants will view the critically acclaimed documentary film, ‘Flock of Dodos: The Evolution – Intelligent Design Circus’ and be able to discuss evolution and natural selection with CSU scientists attending the event. “Darwin’s theory of evolution is one of the most significant advancements in our understanding of the natural world. This break-through in our scientific understanding still affects many facets of modern life, despite first being published 150 years ago in his seminal book, On the Origin of Species,” says the University’s Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp. The event runs from 9.30 to 11.30am, Tuesday 10 February, in the Nowik Lecture Theatre, Guinea St, Albury.
Media Note: For interviews with Professor Nick Klomp and other CSU scientists on evolution and Darwin, contact CSU Media. Print this story Evolution is more than a scientific theory
03 Feb 2009
 Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is one of the most significant advancements in our understanding of the natural world, according to the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Nick Klomp. “This breakthrough in scientific understanding still affects many facets of modern life, despite first being published 150 years ago.” CSU will lead the regional scientific communities in celebrating Darwin’s 200th birthday during the week commencing Monday 9 February. Events will include presentations to visiting high school classes on Tuesday 10 February in Albury and Wagga Wagga and celebrations by scientific communities around the two regional centres on Thursday 12 February, complete with birthday cakes. More public events celebrating the life of Darwin and the theory of evolution will be held later in 2009, including discussion of his seminal work, On the Origins of Species, published in 1859.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with CSU scientists on the importance of Darwin’s theory of evolution and its place in the modern world. A presentation to high school students will be held from 9.30am on Tuesday 10 February in the Nowik Lecture Theatre, CSU, Guinea St, Albury. Read more here. A presentation to high school students will be held from 9.30am on Tuesday 10 February at the Riverina Playhouse, Cross St, Wagga Wagga. Read more here. Print this story Mining job losses to impact regions
03 Feb 2009
 Communities and regions where mining occurs will be severely affected by the downturn in the Australian mining sector due to the global financial crisis. Mr Tom Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Western Research Institute (WRI) at Charles Sturt University at Bathurst, says that with the current contraction of the Chinese economy, the largest customer for Australia’s mineral resources, Australia will face increasing and probably prolonged reduction of revenue from mining. “Our studies indicate that mining jobs create economic multipliers of four to six in surrounding community economies, or more in some instances,” he said. “That means for each mining job lost you can have four to six other jobs lost in a community. This is because mine wages and local spending are so high. Other industries typically have multipliers of around two to three or even less, so mine jobs are very hard to replace.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Mr Tom Murphy. Print this story Dengue fever not a plague marching south
28 Jan 2009
 Recent media reports of a dengue fever ‘plague’ in northern Queensland are an overstatement of what periodically occurs in that State, according to a senior Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and member of the Institute for Land, Water and Society. “I don’t see dengue fever marching south from tropical Australia as a great plague, but rather gradually moving with the fluctuations and movements of climate change over many years,” says Professor Kevin Parton. “My work on Ross River fever, a similarly mosquito-borne disease endemic to parts of southern Australia, shows that the virus is present in humans across NSW – which would surprise many people. It becomes more common in certain weather conditions, hence the appearance of an ‘outbreak’. Sure, take public health precautions such as use insect repellent, fix fly screens and tip out standing water around your house, but some current reports are a little sensationalist.”
Media Note: For interview with Professor Kevin Parton, contact CSU Media. See details here on Professor Parton’s work on Ross River fever. Print this story Health, education demand strong from Victorian students
20 Jan 2009
Demand for health and education courses offered to Victorian students by Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga continues to be healthy, says the University’s Student Administration Executive Director, Mr Geoff Honey. “The physiotherapy course appears to be full, while our other allied health and education courses have been in strong demand from Victorian students,” Mr Honey said. “However, there are places available in most offered courses on the campus, especially in environmental science and business.” Offers for CSU places through the NSW University Admissions Centre will be made this Thursday 22 January. Orientation Week for new students will commence on Monday 16 February. Victorian applicants considering a CSU course should contact the University’s Student Administration Office on (02) 6051 6811 to discuss their application.
Media Note: For interviews with Mr Honey or the new Head of CSU at Albury-Wodonga, Professor Allan Curtis, contact CSU Media. Print this story |
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